


Ruins

by adieuxemo



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bottom Draco Malfoy, Canon Era, Death Eater Draco Malfoy, Death Eaters, Depressed Draco Malfoy, F/F, F/M, Good Draco Malfoy, Gryffindor Draco Malfoy, Hogwarts Era, M/M, Magic, Male Slash, Mental Health Issues, POV Draco Malfoy, Pining Draco Malfoy, Powerful Neville Longbottom, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Harm, The Golden Trio, Top Neville Longbottom, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-10
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2020-06-26 00:41:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 10
Words: 24,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19757065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adieuxemo/pseuds/adieuxemo
Summary: Draco Malfoy was the heir of the Ancient and Noble Malfoy line. Things change as soon as he goes to Hogwarts and is not sorted into Slytherin as expected of him. Instead, he's sorted into Gryffindor, the house he is meant to hate. There he forms some unlikely friendships, but he never realized just how difficult his life would be after that.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> This book will contain m/m, self-harm, mental abuse, swearing, and sexual content. The rating of this book may go up in the future, so beware.

**CHAPTER ONE**

**DRACO'SPOV**

* * *

"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted after two minutes of me and the hat arguing. I felt myself freeze as dread trickled over me, Gryffindor. I was in Gryffindor, I felt bile rise at the back of my throat as I made my way towards the Gryffindor table. What will my father think of this? Will he disown me? I sat down at the table, a feeling of numbness creeping up on me.  
****

I looked at the Slytherin table and as soon as my eyes locked with my childhood best friend, I got a look of hatred sent my way and I felt tears sting my eyes. My father is going to kill me, I won't ever fit in. I'm a snake in a lions den, I'll be mauled in a second. I heard the name Harry Potter and my head shot up as he sat on the stool, the hat being placed on his head. He's most definitely a Gryffindor, I already have an enemy in my house. Not to mention his Weasley friend.

As soon as the hat yelled Gryffindor I sighed in defeat, why couldn't he have gotten Ravenclaw? Or even Hufflepuff, he's nice enough for that house. He sat down not that far from me and I could feel his eyes on me, I then realized all Gryffindor's eyes were on me. A Malfoy hasn't ever been in Gryffindor, not in the last thousand years. My eyes stung, but I blinked back the tears. I was alone now, I only had myself at this point. Thoughts of how my father will react were flooding through my mind, I wouldn't be surprised if he actually killed me. All I wanted was for him to be proud of me for once, it's too late now.

I can be who I want to be, as of now I'm a disgrace to the Malfoy name. I can't make it any worse since I'm in Gryffindor. The thought brought more tears to my eyes. I hadn't even realized there was food in front of me until the smell began to make me nauseous. Everyone was laughing and chatting, but here I was all alone. I looked at Longbottom who sat across from me, he wasn't laughing or smiling. He seemed just as upset as I am, which oddly relieved me. Our eyes connected and he offered me a small smile. I gave a weak smile in return.

"H-hey, Malfoy?" He asked suddenly causing me to turn to him. "You should know that I'm sure it's gonna be okay, I know how harsh pure-blood families are with traditions," he says with a comforting smile on his face. "You'll have me in the lion's den, you won't be alone." I feel a surge of warmth go through my chest, maybe I would have one good thing in my life after today.

"Thank you. You can call me Draco," I say and shake his hand ever so lightly. He smiles again as he begins digging into his food. I look at the food, hoping I'll have an appetite, but to no avail it still made me want to puke. It felt like hours before everyone was finally done eating and Dumbledore stood to make his announcements. I didn't listen to a word that came out of his mouth, besides the forbidden corridor. It's as if he wants children to go into the corridor by announcing it to everyone. I'm sure no one even knew it existed until today. "Prefects, lead the students to their common rooms!" He said as he clapped loudly. He sickened me with his overly cheerful attitude, at least my hatred for Dumbledore will remain the same.

I followed the prefects alongside Neville as we walked to the Gryffindor Tower. "Caput Draconis," Percy Weasley said and the portrait of a fat lady in pink swung open. The room was decked out in red, yellow, and some darker colours. "First years your on the first floor to the right, girls left," he says so I follow Neville up the stairs and into the dormitory. There were six four poster beds with trunks at the bottom of each one. I ignored the stares I received from the other first year Gryffindor's excluding Neville. "I'm going to be taking a shower," I sat stiffly as I grab my black pajamas. No one says anything so I deem it okay. The water was warm when I stepped in, but I wanted it hotter.

When I stepped out my skin was bright red and I would not be surprised if I had a mild burn. I brushed my teeth quickly before entering the dorm. Everyone was already in bed with their curtains closed around them. I grabbed a piece of parchment along with my quill and sat down. I bit my lip as I thought of what to write, I can't exactly lie. With a shaking hand I began writing the letter.

Dear Father & Mother,

I have arrived at Hogwarts safely and I'm going to be going to bed soon as it's quite late. I've befriended the Longbottom boy so far, he's actually a decent human being despite what you might think. Anyways, I'm sure you'd like to know how the sorting went. I'm really sorry for ruining the reputation of the Ancient & Noble line of the Malfoy's. I didn't get sorted into Slytherin or even Ravenclaw. I tried to argue with the hat, but it would not listen to me. I was sorted into Gryffindor. I'm so sorry father, I'm a disgrace and I know it. Please don't hate me.

Love,

Draco

I folded the letter and handed it to my owl named Onyx. I watched as he flew off into the dark night, he had a long trip from Scotland to Wiltshire. I only hoped that maybe he'd take a break or lose the letter along the way. With a heavy feeling on my shoulders I crawled into bed and fell into a restless sleep.

___

The next morning I awoke feeling utterly exhausted. Someone was moving about the room getting ready so I also got up. It was Potter, he was getting into his robes for the day. We made eye contact for a split second as I grabbed my own robes. I entered the loo to get ready, but I felt bile rise in my throat as I looked at the red and yellow tie, the Gryffindor crest, and yellow & red outlining on the jumper. I got into my clothes as nauseous feeling burrowed itself into my stomach. I looked in the mirror as I brushed my teeth, I didn't want to do my hair. I quite liked it curly and soft looking. I grabbed my wand from the counter then put it in my holster as I entered the dorm.

Potter brushed passed me as he entered the loo to brush his teeth. I grabbed my satchel and began putting my books, parchment, and quills in it. All of the other boys were already up besides Weasley, who I dared not go near for he had quite the temper I hear. I look around the room to make sure I didn't leave anything, before heading down into the common room. I nearly bumped into a bushy haired girl as I made my way towards the portrait. "Watch where you're going," she muttered as she brushed past me. Did literally everyone hate me or was she just being a twat?

I let out a soft sigh and began the dreadful trek to the great hall. It took me ten minutes to find it finally, which I deemed as an accomplishment. "Hey, Malfoy! Gred we got our first one of the firsties to arrive," one of the Weasley twins said as he swung an arm over my shoulder. "I've never seen a Malfoy in Gryffindor, but you can't be that bad," the other one said as he winked at me. "He's much more adorable than yesterday with his curly hair," the other one said as he ruffled my hair. "Sit with us and our friend Lee Jordan," they both said in unison as they both directed me towards the Gryffindor table. "Lee, look what we found!" One of them said excitedly as they placed me on the bench.

"A first year? A Malfoy?" Lee let out a whistle as a tint of pink appeared on my pale skin. "I'm Fred and he's George," the twin now named George said. I quickly looked at them in an attempt to find anything that can help me differentiate the two. I noticed that George had a birth mark on the left side of his neck, but Fred had one on his right side. "You can call me Draco," I say shyly. I was sitting with two of the Weasley's and a muggle-born. They weren't as bad as my father had made them out to be, they were normal like the rest of us. "Here you go, firstie. First years need food to survive," George says as he places a plate with a biscuit, eggs, and ham. "Here's some orange juice since pumpkin juice is fucking disgusting," Fred says as he places a cup in front of my plate.

"Thank you," I mumbled as I look at my food, my stomach wasn't in a complete state of disaster but I still wasn't hungry enough to eat. I took a small sip of the orange juice before taking a bite of the biscuit. My stomach twisted a little at first, but it stayed down. I soon realized that all I could consume were biscuits. Professor McGonagall came up to us and handed us our schedules. "What do you have first period? Oh, charms. Flitwick is the really short dude, he's nice," George says as he scans my schedule. I let out a noise of relief at that, at least I won't be belittled by a teacher first thing in the morning.

"You should get going, it's on the third floor down in the west wing. A ghost will help you find your way," Lee says as he casts a tempus charm. I don't know whether or not I'm scared or excited for Hogwarts.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These chapters won't be super long, but updates will be frequent!

**CHAPTER TWO**  
**DRACO'S POV**

* * *

Three days after school had started and I finally had begun to feel peace, I received the letter. I had just sat down for breakfast when I saw Onyx flying towards me with a letter. My blood had gone cold as the letter was dropped in front of me. "Are you okay?" Neville asked me, but he went quiet once he saw the Malfoy crest on the envelope.

"I'll be right back," I told him as I stood up and tucked the letter in my pocket. I had no idea where I was going, somehow I found myself on the astronomy tower. I sat down on the cold cobblestone ground as I pulled out the letter. The crest of my family name glared at me. I opened the letter with shaking hands.

_Dear Son,_

_This is your mother, I do not know what your father is going to write in his letter. You're still my little Dragon, I love you no matter what. There isn't anything wrong with being a Gryffindor, it just means you're brave and loyal. There isn't anything wrong with it and you know it. I do not know how your father react, I do not know if I can do anything to help you besides be your mother._

_I'm proud of you for befriending the Longbottom's child. I am sure he needs it greatly after losing his parents and then having to go to that horrible woman. Make sure he's okay, I have no idea what the wretched woman does to the poor boy. I hope you have made more friends than just Neville, though. How are you and Blaise, Crabbe, and Goyle? I hope getting sorted into Gryffindor didn't tarnish your relationship with them._

_You better be eating three meals a day, showering, and taking care of yourself. I hope I will see you over Christmas holidays, but I'll let you decide if you want to come home or not._

_Love,_

_Your Mother_

_Tears threatened to spill from eyes, but I was determined not to cry as I grabbed the other letter from my father._

_Dear Draco,_

_I do not know what to say to this. Gryffindor, of all of the houses? What would your Grandfather say about this? I'm highly disappointed in you. No, I am beyond angry and disappointed in you for tarnishing our family name._

_I have tried talking to the school board of governors to allow you to be resorted, but they will not allow it until your third year. Also, why_ _Longbottom_ _? I hope you know that he'll never truly be your friend or trust you. Your Aunt Bella is one of the people who tortured them into insanity. Never expect to have any friends in that house, you're a Malfoy._ _Gryffindor's_ _do not like you and they never will. If I hear that you have befriended one of the mud-bloods in that house, you will pay dearly._

_You will not be punished as long as you keep up your grades and only associate with people of a higher blood status. This issue will not be spoken of in this house, although I will be starting your French lessons again._

_Sincerely,_

_Lucius Malfoy_

I was shaking slightly as I put the letters back into the envelope. My father hated me, that scared me deeply. I found comfort in the fact that he had decided to ignore it, my mother was perfectly fine with it, and break wouldn't be as bad as I thought it would. I pocketed the letters and quickly made my way to my first Potions class of the year. Neville signaled for me to sit next to him when I entered, which I happily did.

The smile on his face dropped as soon as Snape entered.

I don't blame him, my Godfather can scare the living daylights out of anyone. His eyes lingered on me as he scanned the students, an unknown look in his eyes. "There will be no foolish wand-waving or silly incantations in this class. As such, I don’t expect many of you to appreciate the subtle science and exact art that is potion-making. However, for those select few…

Who possess, the predisposition… I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper in death." The class was utterly silent as he spoke. "Then again, maybe some of you have come to Hogwarts in possession of abilities so formidable that you feel confident enough to not pay attention! Mister Potter. Our new celebrity," he said as he turned to Potter, who sat next to the Weasley.

"What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" He asked the slightly frozen young boy. I pitied Potter in that moment, it's not fun to face Severus' wrath.

"D-Draught of the Living, uh dead?" Harry responded as though it was a question, but he got it right.

"Where would you find a Bezoar?" He asked Harry again, who seemed to want to disappear into his seat. He didn't respond, most likely not knowing what the answer was. I knew it, my godfather engraved it into my brain after the constant Potion lessons he would give me growing up. "Malfoy, answer the question," he said, turning to me.

"In the stomach of a goat, Professor," I responded, thanking Merlin that my voice didn't shake in the slightest. He nodded, I almost didn't hear it, but he murmured fifteen points to Gryffindor.

"Well? What are you waiting for, write that down!" He snarled, turning to the chalkboard and writing down the instructions to brew the potion for healing boils. "As I'm assuming you are all done, you all will be brewing this potion. If it's satisfactory, they will be given to Madam Pomfrey. Do not pester me, asking for help as the instructions are right there, and even in your notebook. You may begin," he stated as he took a seat in his chair.

"Don't worry about Snape, he just likes to put up an act around students," I murmured to Neville with a soft smile. He gave me a feeble smile in return, grabbing the potion ingredients. I managed to catch one of the bottles when he accidentally dropped it, causing him to stammer an apology. "It may not seem like it, but confidence is the most important thing to have when brewing a potion. Ignore Snape, focus on the potion you know you can brew," I assured him with a pat on the back.

He stood up straighter, a much more confident smile on his face. "I can brew it, why else would he assign us this? I already read the chapter," he stated as he began sprinkling in dried nettles into the potion. Almost instantly, it turned green, the correct colour. I did the same to my potion, feeling confident in myself. We both worked in sync, sometimes making a comment to one another. Neville told me the story of how he got his frog, Trevor. I felt slightly bad that Neville's grandmother seemed so strict. From what I've seen from Neville, he seems to be your average wizard.

"You're just a late bloomer, my parents were a bit worried too. I had my first bout of accidental magic at age eight," I told him as I began stirring clockwise, him doing the same. I looked up to see Uncle Sev looking at both of our potions as they both turned red, the correct colour.

"Hm, maybe not all of you are complete dunderheads, keep up the good work Malfoy and Longbottom," he stated curtly. Neville seemed to be bursting with joy, as it was an extremely rare occurrence for Snape to compliment someone. Some may argue that he didn't compliment us, but if you knew him, that was one of the nicest things he's ever said to a student.

"Did you hear that? We're not dunderheads, that's the first time someone's ever told me that!" I frowned at Neville's words, he seemed to be quite intelligent and kind. Nonetheless, I quickly turned it into a smile.

We both jumped as Seamus Finnigan's cauldron exploded in his face, burning his face. This wasn't the first time he's blown something up, he blew up his match in transfiguration just yesterday. It was now an ongoing joke amongst the first years that Seamus' calling was to be a bomber, despite sounding quite dark and twisted. Snape looked at him in disgust, but I could see the confusion in his eyes very clearly. Seamus shouldn't have been able to blow up the cauldron, he didn't even have his wand out. That made the situation even more humorous.

"I don't know how you accomplished that Mister Finnigan. Mister Thomas, take your friend to the infirmary," Snape ordered as he began taking our potions. "Now, clean all of your equipment and desks spotless. If I see a speck of dried nettles or slugs anywhere, immediate detention." No one said a word as he spoke, it wouldn't be shocking if someone had cast the petrification spell on everyone.

Everyone got to work immediately, the Gryffindors and Slytherins attempting to avoid each other. I could feel eyes boring into my back, so I turned around. Crabbe was staring at me, an odd look in his eyes. I wasn't surprised he hated me, but I don't think I'll get used to the look of hatred in his eyes. I distracted myself from those thoughts by helping Neville pack his things. "We have flying lessons Friday, do you know how to fly? I'm a bit scared," Neville whispered as he looked at his time table. "Grandma wouldn't let me touch a broomstick, she always said I'd just end up getting hurt."

"Don't worry, it's quite easy. You just have to have confidence, like Potions. Confidence is very important when it comes to magic or manual work," I tell him, rubbing his shoulder soothingly. He jokingly hit my hand, a bright smile on his face. I playfully ruffled his blond hair, causing him to pout. I just laughed in response as we headed to Charms.


	3. Chapter Three

**CHAPTER THREE**  
**DRACO'S POV**

* * *

The day we had Herbology, I quickly realized that Neville was especially gifted in this area. Even Professor Sprout complimented him on his knowledge, saying that he was very similar to his mother in many ways. I had never seen him smile so brightly before, it was oddly adorable. Whereas he's absolutely fantastic at Herbology, I struggle a little bit. I've never been the best at caring for plants, and they all seem to look the same in my mind. It was the complete opposite in Defense Against the Dark Arts, whereas I was right in my element during that class, he can't seem to get the hang of it.

"Wait, why is mine dying already?" I groaned loudly. Neville's eyes filled with worry as he saw my plant, gently pushing me out of the way so he could save it. "I swear, I'm trying! I just seem to kill every plant I touch." He just rolled his eyes in response, but a smile was on his face as colour returned to the Asphodel.

"I'm just going to call you the God of Death for now on," he said as he returned to his thriving plant. I dared not to touch my plant, as I'm sure breathing on it would kill it. Even looking at it would probably do the trick, so I avoided the fragile plant. "Draco, you need to work on it. Add this to the soil, ¼ of a cup to be precise," Neville told me as he handed me a bottle full of an odd green liquid.

I did as told, silently praying it wouldn't turn black and shrivel up. Nothing changed, so after a few moments a cheer left my lips. "You're amazing, Neville! How are you so good at this?" I said looking at him with wide eyes. As each day went by, I found myself looking up to him even more. There was a loud bang from across the room, I knew what it was before I even looked. Seamus had managed to blow up his plant unsurprisingly. He gave Professor Sprout a sheepish look, black soot all over his face.

"I will never understand you, Mister Finnigan," she murmured before simply walking away. I withheld a laugh when I saw the confused look ok Dean's face. Neville didn't care though, he was giggling in amusement at the shocked silence between the two boys. My eyes met Harry Potter's, who very awkwardly gave me a smile. I had only spoken to him three times so far since the beginning of the school year. We were still a bit rocky, but we could easily handle being in each other's company.

As she dismissed us, Neville instantly started to fidget a little. We had flying lessons next period, which still seemed to scare him slightly. "It'll be fun, Nev. Don't worry too much," I told him as we neared the Quidditch pitch. He nodded his head in response, not bothering to open his mouth. I was fairly sure he would've puked if he opened his mouth. Madam Hooch appeared, hands on her hips.

"Stand next to a broom everybody! Put your dominant hand above it and yell up," she ordered. Mine didn't come up at first, neither did Neville's. Mine came up on the second try and Neville's came up on the third, after he put a tone of confidence in his voice. Ron Weasley got hit in the face with the broom, causing everyone to let out a chuckle. He even smiled slightly as Madam Hooch continued. "Now, get on top of it and grip it tight. We don't want you slipping off." Everyone did as instructed, some with anxious expressions on their faces. I hope Neville realized he wasn't alone, a lot of people haven't rode a broomstick before.

As she ordered us to go off of the ground, I caught a whimper leave Neville's lips before his broom took off. It only took me a minute to realize he lost control, Madam Hooch was also looking quite worried. People were murmuring amongst each other, now back on the ground. A gasp escaped someone's mouth as he slipped off of the broom, panic flooded me. He's my only friend, the one person in Gryffindor besides the Weasley twins who'll talk to me. Tears streamed down his face as he clutched his arm, it was most definitely broken.

"None of you leave this ground, if you do? You'll be expelled before you can even say Quidditch," she said warningly as she eyed us all. I spotted the remembrall on the ground and quickly grabbed it. I can use it as an excuse to visit Neville in the infirmary later. My leg was shaking impatiently, anxiety coursing through my veins as I waited for Madam Hooch to return. I needed to know if Neville was okay, I snapped out of my thoughts by someone talking.

"The fat lump deserved that," Crabbe said with a laugh. Anger coursed through my veins, he doesn't have the right to say anything. Neville is a perfectly healthy boy, not overweight or too skinny. He's perfect just the way he is, the same cannot be said for Crabbe or Goyle.

"Why don't you shut your trap, Crabbe? You're the one to talk," I retorted, eyeing him with a hint of disgust on my face. I could hardly believe I was once friends with him, that I had been like him. Why was I so blind? Being in Gryffindor is like seeing the world from a whole different perspective. Crabbe and Goyle are complete arses, Muggle-borns aren't completely worthless, and Gryffindors are a bit blind. The only thing I didn't like about Gryffindor was the fact they thought all Slytherins are evil, and that they seemed to love being jerks.

I was so lost in thought I hadn't even noticed Crabbe approaching me. The boy was strong, so I felt a twinge of fear go through me. He simply pushed me back slightly, causing me to stumble into Weasley. The ginger cringed slightly, but looked sympathetic. The ball was in Crabbe's hands before I knew it. "Give that back, prick. It's Neville's, I need to give it to him," I pleaded, allowing the stoic mask I wore to fall down. I didn't want to disappoint Neville, he never disappointed me.

"Why should I-" Crabbe was cut off by none other than Harry Potter himself.

"Give it back, Crabbe. All your doing is showing that you're nothing but a troll," Harry said, butting into the conversation.

"Why don't you come and get it?" Crabbe retorted as he clambered onto the broomstick. I went to get on mine, but Harry was already in the sky. My mouth fell agape slightly, for someone who had never been on a broom, he was fantastic. We couldn't hear anything from down here, but I could see Crabbe throw the glass ball in the air. Harry raced after it, diving straight for the ground. I looked away, too scared to see him crash into the ground. The screams never came.

He handed me the remembrall, a smile on his face. That smile dropped as soon his name was yelled, McGonagall walking towards us first years. "What in the world were you thinking, Mister Potter? Follow me," she snapped at him, a furious expression on her face.

"P-professor! He was just helping me, it's all my fault," I told her, gulping at the stare she gave me. "I started an argument with Crabbe and he took this ball from me, so he got it back. Me and Crabbe should be getting in trouble," I finished, begging her silently.

"I will speak to you and Mister Crabbe later, follow me Mister Potter." I could only watch with a heavy heart as they walked away, guilt weighing heavily on my shoulders.

___

After classes ended, with no sign of Neville, I headed towards the infirmary. "What do you need?" Madam Pomfrey asked me as soon as I entered the room.

"Can I see Neville Longbottom, please? I have something for him," I asked, a pleading tone to my voice. She hesitantly nodded, leading me into the infirmary where there were a series of beds, curtains closed around the occupied beds. As soon as I saw Neville a smile appeared on my face, one that he returned. "I would hug you right now, but I don't want to hurt you," I said with a chuckle, as soon as Madam Pomfrey was gone.

"Come on, give me a hug. I feel perfectly fine, she healed my arm. She's just making me stay in here since I had a cold," he replied with a roll of his eyes. I quickly complied, wrapping my arms around his torso, gently squeezing. "My grandma is gonna be here soon," he told me as soon as I pulled away, a worried expression on his face. "Will you stay with me? I want her to see I have a friend, plus she won't yell at me if a friend is here." I quickly nodded as I fished the remembrall out of my pocket.

"I managed to find it, but Crabbe got into a fight with me. Harry got it back for me, I feel bad though. I don't know if he got in trouble or not," I told him, the familiar feeling of guilt returning. "I don't think it's damaged," I added quickly, seeing a concerned look on Neville's face.

"I'm not worried about the ball, silly. Did he hurt you? Can you tell Harry thank you?" He asked another question before I could even answer the first one.

"He pushed me into Weasley, a disgusted look on Ron's face was priceless when he touched me," I laughed slightly, hoping it wouldn't affect me. "I'll tell him if I see him," I add quickly, changing the subject. He smiled at me gently patting me on the back. I smiled too, feeling a bit lighter. Neville was the only person that made me smile by just existing. The curtain opened again, there stood an elderly woman with Madam Pomfrey.

"Hey, Gran," Neville said, his mood going down nearly instantly. "This is Draco, he's my friend!" He gushed to her excitedly.

The cold look on her face never wavered. "A pleasure to meet you, Draco. I work with your father in the Ministry," she said as she shook my hand. Her eyes landed on the colour of my tie, then the symbol of Gryffindor on my robes. "A Malfoy in Gryffindor? That's a first," she murmured the last few words. "You should be more careful, Neville. I don't like getting an owl while at work, saying my grandson fell off of his broom and broke his arm." There was an awkward silence as Neville apologized for his actions.

"I'm sorry, I just lost control of the broom. I won't do it again, I promise," he assured her, a fake smile on his face. "Can you tell them I say hi when you see them again?" He asked her hopefully. A wave of confusion went over me, but I didn't open my mouth.

Her demeanor instantly changed and she became a bit more stiff. "I will, I best get going. Nice to meet you Draco, behave yourself Neville." She was out the door instantly. Neither me or Neville spoke as silence filled the room. At that moment, McGonagall entered the infirmary. I let out a soft sigh as she headed towards me.

"I would like to speak to you, Mister Malfoy. I hope you're doing well, Mister Longbottom," she added with a smile on her face. Neville smiled back, thanking her. I gave Neville a sheepish grin before following the head of Gryffindor. We arrived at her office, where we both took a seat. "You're not in trouble Mister Malfoy, and neither is Harry Potter. I just wanted to ask if you're doing okay in Gryffindor," she said with a smile on her face. A wave of relief washed over me, I was more than grateful to her.

"I'm doing good," I assured her, a smile on my face. "Neville is probably my best friend," I told her as I look at my fidgeting hands that were in my lap. I could feel her eyes boring into my skull, so I continued. "My father isn't all too happy about my sorting, but he's choosing to ignore it all together," I admitted.

"I'm sure he'll get better over time, it can be a bit hard for families who have specific traditions. I do hope you know this Mister Malfoy, there's nothing wrong with being different," she told me as she took a sip of tea. There was a proud glint in her eyes, one I was not familiar with. I bowed my head, feeling a bit lighter than I was earlier. "Now go back to Mister Longbottom, I'm sure he's missing you." I scrambled out of my chair, mumbling a thank you before springing out of there. I vaguely heard her yell no running.


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a bit longer, around 3.5k words. It isn't edited though, so sorry!

**CHAPTER FOUR**

**DRACO'S** **POV**

* * *

I let out a loud laugh, almost a scream as Neville tickled me. I was squirming around my bed, sweating as he continued to torture me. "N-Nev, I hate you-". My limbs were flailing as I giggled, his fingers moving across my torso. We had been attempting to study, but it quickly turned into us talking about ourselves. I accidentally let it slip I was extremely ticklish on my stomach, which he took advantage of.

A sigh of relief escaped my lips when he stopped, a slight smirk on his face. "You know you couldn't go one day without me," he replied teasingly. It was true though, not that I'd ever tell him that. He was basically the only thing I enjoyed at Hogwarts, including learning of course. I rolled my eyes at him as I began working on our charms homework that was due in two days. "I already finished that," he said as he threw himself onto his bed.

"Good for you, prat." He grinned in response as Weasley entered the room. "What're you up to, Ron? Where's Harry?" He asked the ginger boy. I attempted not to eavesdrop, doing my work instead.

"He's in the common room reading up on jinxes, me and him are going to duel Nott and Crabbe tonight. They told us to meet him in the trophy at midnight," Weasley responded with a proud grin on his face. "I'm Harry's second," he said with a smug look on his face. I was half tempted to punch him across the face, but I restrained myself from doing so. "Why don't you come and watch? I'm sure Harry will beat Crabbe in a second, he's an idiot," he told Neville with a laugh.

"You should be careful, Crabbe knows some er, darker spells," I said suddenly, interrupting their conversation.

"You'd know, wouldn't you?" Ron said with a roll of his eyes. I didn't expect that to hurt as much as it did, but I knew I wouldn't be able to finish my homework. "Death eater scum," he grumbled as he walked past me, not loud enough for Neville to hear. I gave him a long hard stare, snapping my book shut before putting everything away.

"Do you want to come with us?" Neville asked me hopefully, but I shook my head no. He pouted slightly as I began removing my clothes so I could get into my pajamas. "Why are you going to bed so early? It's only ten," he asked me as he sat on the edge of my bed.

"I'm just tired." He didn't seem to believe me, nonetheless he didn't say anything else on the matter. I slipped underneath my covers, allowing the oddly cold comforter to wrap around my ice cold skin. I closed my eyes, expecting sleep to arrive. I don't know how long I laid there, begging for the darkness to take me away to my dreams. As soon as it did, I embraced it like an old friend.

The halls were dark, not even the moon could give them light. I walked forward, the only sound heard were my footsteps. There was a door at the end of the hallway, it seemed so close. I could almost reach out and touch it, but when I did, I wasn't close enough. I took a step further, this only made it worse. The door became farther away which each step I took. I began running, trying to keep up with the door.

So I stopped. The door stopped moving away as soon as my feet stopped moving. Silence followed. I realized then that I wasn't breathing, that's why it was so quiet. The familiar sound of ragged breaths were gone, replaced by the sound I hated. Silence.

I took a step forward, this time the door did not move. I opened the door, not knowing what to expect. The smell of my home washed over me, but no one was there. The family parlor looked like it always did, the fireplace lit ablaze, the smell of candles and biscuits, my mother's perfume. "Mom?" I called out. The door slammed shut behind me, causing me to jump. I looked around, hoping to see my mom in the chair by the fire.

It was empty.

My breathing returned, the pace of my breaths quickening with each second. I was all alone, no one else by my side. "Mom? Neville?" I said louder this time, begging for someone, anyone to come out. I hated being alone as much as I hated silence. It was as if all of my nightmares had come true. I was alone in utter silence, surrounded by the things I knew, but unable to enjoy them. Tears stung my eyes and I took a seat on the chair where my mother would always sit.

"Don't worry, Draco. I'm right here," a familiar voice says from beside me. I jumped, but welcomed the company of another. Neville sat there, his familiar smile on his face. The freckles on his nose and cheeks look darker in the light of the fire, his brown eyes showing the reflection of his surroundings, and his blond hair curling at the edges. I hugged him tightly, too scared to let go. I'm not alone anymore, I don't have to suffer in silence.

"Draco!" I snapped upward, my eyes meeting Neville's familiar mocha brown ones. "T-there was a three headed dog," his voice trembled, his body shaking slightly. I wrapped my arms around him, hugging him tightly. "Filch showed up just as the duel was about to begin, we ran but got lost. We ended up in the forbidden corridor locked in the room. It was so big, it was ready to kill us," he murmured into my shoulder. His body was still shaking, but not as much.

"Are the others okay?" I asked him as I rubbed his back soothingly. He nodded in response, most likely to exhausted to talk. "I-if you want we can share a bed tonight," I offered, my heart racing. I've always slept better with someone else's warmth beside me. He nodded after a moment, pulling away from me. The dorm was dark, the only source of light being the moon. He joined me underneath my covers, hesitantly curling up against my side. A smile appeared on my face, but a thought joined it. Neville will never be joining Harry Potter on a nighttime excursion ever again.

___

It was Halloween, my favourite holiday. I had woken up bright and early at six in the morning, slipping out of my bed quietly that I shared with Neville. No one else found it weird seeing us share a bed, if they did, they didn't say a word. Maybe it'll get weirder as we get older, but for now it's okay and I can accept that. I hopped into the shower, allowing the warm water to engulf me. It was already extremely cold in the castle, but it got even worse during autumn and winter.

When I exited the shower, the other first years were just waking up. I threw myself on my bed once dressed, making sure to hit Neville. "Wake up, Nev! It's Halloween, I got you something," I said in a sing song voice, a bright grin on my face. His tired eyes opened, blearily looking at me. I handed him the small box, that he managed to hold onto as he sat up. I impatiently waited for him to open it, feeling a wave of happiness flow over me as he smiled at it. I had given him a small silver bracelet, with the Samhain symbol on a charm. It was meant to protect him from evil spirits and honor the day.

"Thank you, Draco. I love it," he says as he stands up and hugs me. "I'm sorry I didn't get you anything," he says, a look of guilt flashing across his features.

"Shut it, Longbottom. I don't want anything in return, well I do want you to wear it. That's a gift to me," I say with the smile still on my face. He smiles softly, carefully clasping it around his small wrist. "Not going to lie, I have good taste," I said to him as I let out a dramatic sigh. He giggled slightly, finally getting out of bed to get dressed. I exited the room with my bag, heading to the common room to wait for him.

I noticed Hermione Granger, the very annoying muggle-born, sitting alone. She most likely begged the hat to be in Gryffindor, but she's most definitely a Ravenclaw. She was a loner, something I would've been if it weren't for Neville. I would talk to her, but my father would kill me, and she was utterly annoying. I silently prayed that she would grow out of it, before turning to Neville who was running down the stairs. "One day you're gonna fall," I said to him with a chuckle.

"Weren't you the one that walked into a wall last week?" He retorted as we exited the common room, heading towards the Great Hall. I playfully shoved him, causing him to tickle my torso. People gave us odd looks as I yelped, but some smiled. I felt a mix of disgust and happiness when I entered the great hall, all of the decorations were muggle related, but they were decorations.

Neville followed me to the table, a slight skip in his steps. "Draco, eat more than an English muffin and ham. You've lost a bit of weight since school began," he said to me, his voice dropping a few tones as he put a few eggs on my plate. I shrugged in response, greedily diving into my food. I was famished, the constant walking in school surprisingly burned a lot of calories. "We get to learn the levitation charm today!" He gushed to me, clearly excited about the idea.

"Should they be teaching kids that? I mean, we could levitate someone off of the Astronomy tower." He suddenly looked not as excited as before, eating instead. A slight smile appeared on my face, making one appear on his face. "Hurry up and finish, I wanna go to Transfiguration!" I pestered him, poking his cheek as he took a bite of toast. He groaned as he stood up, taking the slight cold piece of toast with him.

"You're lucky you're my best friend," he grumbled. He didn't know it, but my heart soared at his words. No one had once told me I was their best friend, well besides Dobby the house elf. We arrived at the classroom, Neville just finishing up his toast as McGonagall headed towards us. "Hello, Professor!" Neville said excitedly, a bright smile on his face.

"Hello, Mister Longbottom, Mister Malfoy," she said with a curt nod as she opened the door. I dragged Neville into the middle of the classroom, closer to the front. "Did you two complete your homework?" She asked us, taking a seat at her desk. I nodded, along with Neville. We both got out our homework and stood up, setting it on her desk. "Ten points to Gryffindor for finishing it early," she said as her eyes scanned it over.

"Thank you, Professor," I mumble as other students enter the room. My eyes landed on Harry Potter, who looked awfully mellow on such a great day. I then remembered, this was the night his parents were murdered. I offered him a smile, much to my surprise he returned it. Maybe our relationship wasn't as rocky as I initially believed it to be.

"Today, we will be attempting to transfer a small piece of wood into paper bats," Professor McGonagall said as soon as everyone was situated. "I will come around and give all of you a piece of wood. After that, I will do a quick demonstration of the spell then leave you all to it." She walked around, placing a small piece of wood on each person's desk. My hand ran over the smooth surface, the wood was a mix between brown and a dirty caramel colour.

"Mutaro vesperto!" Professor McGonagall said, doing a short flick of her wand, bringing it to an abrupt stop. The wood quickly turned into a black paper bat, it's feeble wings lifting in the air. "Now begin." No one needed to be told twice.

"How does she make it look so easy?" I grumble as I attempt it for the fourth time. "Oh wait, she's a teacher." I hit myself on the head. I attempted it again, making sure to put confidence in my words and will it to turn into her bat. The wood turned into a bat, but it wasn't black. It took me four more tries before I was able to turn it into a near exact replica of the Professor's bat. Neville managed to finish a minute after me, having a few issues with his wand. "Why doesn't your wand listen to you?" I asked him once McGonagall took our bats away.

"Well, you can't tell anyone," he mumbled, looking over his shoulder. I nodded, slightly confused. "This was my father's wand, my Gran wanted me to use it and she refuses to buy me a different one." A light blush appeared on his cheeks as he spoke, most likely from embarrassment.

"No wonder you struggle with spells. Why don't you try and bring it up to her, tell her it's affecting your grades," I said to him, hoping he'd take my advice. It was essential for any witch or wizard to have their own wand, one that connected deeply with them. It was like a wand to a soldier, if they lost it in battle, there is no way of seeing the outcome in a positive light. He needs one of his own so he can express his full potential. Even using a wand his magic isn't compatible with is quite hard, I can only imagine what he'll be able to do with one of his own.

___

After Charms was finished, which consisted of Granger being a know-it-all and Seamus blowing up his feather, me and Neville stood outside the classroom. None other than Hermione Granger came rushing by, crying. Not too far away, a guilty Ron Weasley stood there and an angry Harry Potter. "Which one of you made Granger cry? You should know not to make a girl cry," I say with a drawl, an uninterested tone in my voice.

"That's none of your business, Malfoy. I'm sure you're glad, since you hate Muggle-borns so much," Weasley retorted, rolling his eyes in the process. That statement was slightly true, but I was as prejudiced against them as I was before. I had slight respect for them now, but that doesn't mean I support their culture and how they push their beliefs on us once they enter our world. Why should we change for then when we're allowing them in? Shouldn't they be adapting to our culture?

"I don't completely hate them, not enough to make them cry. That'd make me scum, who makes a girl cry? It's probably a stupid reason too. Was it because she was able to do the spell before you and then proceeded to be kind and attempt to show you how to do it?" Things were getting a bit heated and I could feel Neville moving behind me nervously.

"You already are scum, you're nothing but a death eater's son. He probably taught you some dark arts, huh? Why don't you show off your skills so you can get expelled and I won't have to see your ferret face again?" He snarled at me. I was at my breaking point, but then he added fuel to the fire. "I bet your mommy is disappointed in you, but I guess she's disappointed in herself for being a who-" I punched him across the face.

"Y-you don't bring my mother into this! Say anything you want about my father, but never insult my mother. She's a good person, she loves me no matter what. She's the only one that accepted me for being in Gryffindor. Do you know what it's like, knowing your father most likely hates you? That your godfather is disappointed?" I was crying at that point, Weasley only stared in shock. Harry thankfully looked disgusted in Ron, but I didn't look at Neville's reaction. I ran off, heading to the boy's bathroom so I can hide away from everyone.

I ended up in a stall, the door locked so no one would accidentally come into this one. I allowed myself to cry freely, I know I'll most likely get in trouble for skipping the rest of my classes, but I didn't care. Everything seemed all to real, even my housemates didn't want me. The only one that truly wanted me there was Neville, but did he really? I'm the son of a Death Eater. I don't know anything about what happened to his parents, I'm sure that the last war had something to do with it though.

I took a seat on the ground, feeling a wave of exhaustion hit me. Crying always left me feeling drained, sleeping always helped. I allowed my eyes to close, too tired to walk the long trek back to Gryffindor tower. I succumbed to the darkness, falling into a blissful sleep.

I was woken suddenly, but I had no idea what it was. My eyes felt weird from crying myself to sleep, a slight headache accompanying it. I looked around, wondering what woke me up. I also wondered about what the time is. There was a loud bang on the door, making me jump. Seconds later it flung open, causing a whimper to escape my throat. I was frozen out of fear as a troll stood before me, dumbly staring at me. It was around six or seven feet, with grayish skin, dirty patched hair, and moles.

My throat was closed up, preventing me from screaming, and my muscles wouldn't move. My mind was screaming at me, move, run, get out of there as fast as possible. The troll spotted me, lifting it's club. I crawled under the sink just as it's collided with the stall I had been in. I was trembling, but as it lifted it's club again, the door opened. Weasley, Potter, Granger, and Neville all entered. The troll was now staring at them, the only sound being it's grunts and my quiet whimpers.

"Draco, come here," Neville ordered, looking at the troll warily. I shook my head no, too scared to move from my spot. The troll turned to me again, raising it's club. I would've slapped Neville in that moment, as he jumped on the back of the troll, dropping his wand in the process. In a panic, Harry pulled out his wand, pointing it at the Troll.

"Wingardium leviosa," he said as he flicked his hand in a specific motion. He hadn't been aiming for the troll, but it's club. He hit it over it's head with the club, there was a loud crack. It swayed slightly, before falling forward. Neville jumped off in the process, thankfully not being crushed by the troll. He rushed towards me, surprising me with a hug. We didn't get to say anything to one another, because the teachers entered the room.

"Well we found your first years, Minerva. Along with the troll," Snape drawled as he looked at the lifeless thing with disgust. "Which one of you managed to kill it?" He asked us. Harry shakingly raised his hand. "As much as I hate to do this, five points to Gryffindor. Why were all of you here and not with your houses?" He asked, much more serious this time.

"Ron and Draco got into a fight earlier and Draco kinda ran off. We heard about the troll and remembered that Draco didn't know where it was, so we went out to find him and bring him back to the common room. We didn't know the troll would be in this area of the castle," Harry responded, the only one actually talking. The Professors all looked at each other, silently arguing amongst one another.

"Five points from Gryffindor for sneaking off without the knowledge of a teacher." We all bowed our heads. "Five points to all of you for putting your friend before yourself," McGonagall added, a small smile on her face. "Try not to fight you two," she ordered Ron and I. We both nodded, but the damage was done. I hated Ron Weasley with a burning passion. "Now off you go." We all rushed out of the bathroom, silent.

Something had changed though. I held deep hatred for Ron Weasley, Harry Potter gained my pure respect, Granger is suddenly less annoying, and Neville is now impossibly closer to me.


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One again this is not edited, sorry. It's around 2.5k words I think, I honestly don't care.

**CHAPTER FIVE**  
**DRACO'S POV**

* * *

The ground covered in dead leaves was now covered with a thick layer of white snow. It was the middle of November, the cold was slowly seeping through the stone walls of Hogwarts. Over the course of the few weeks since Halloween, I noticed that Harry Potter seemed to be quite interested in something to do with the Forbidden Corridor. He was also preparing for his Quidditch match, which was this evening. Excitement thrummed through my veins, I loved Quidditch more than anything in the world.

"You're shaking the table. Stop shaking your leg," Neville says as he puts a hand on my knee to stop it. He was currently working on his Potions essay, for some reason he always tried harder for Potions and Herbology. Maybe it's because he likes things that don't involve magic, he's always been insecure about his magical capabilities. I don't understand why, he seems around average if not perhaps above average. He loves writing with a passion, which is something I admire about him.

Unlike Granger, Neville stayed within the word or length limit. He knew what to write, how much to write, and how to explain things in his own words. I looked over his shoulder, he's about nearly done already. Another thing I noticed, his cursive was perfect. Not a single flaw besides a slight shake or different sized loops. "You need to teach me how to write like that," I commented. He hummed in response, his quill gliding across the paper.

"Done," he says as he adds a period to the conclusion. "Let's go get a seat in the bleachers," he says as he grabs his black cloak. He clasped it around his neck, grabbing his scarf and hat too. Today he wore a simple white button up shirt, black pants, and dragonhide boots. His black winter cloak through it all together. He put on his wool blue hat and scarf, grabbing my wrist to drag me out of our dorm. "I've never seen a Quidditch game, but I've always wanted to," he gushed to me as we exited the castle along with another group of students.

"Maybe one year I can take you to the Quidditch World Cup, I'm sure it's better than Hogwarts students," I replied with, the bleachers coming into view. "The Gryffindors are over here," I say as I take the lead. Neville stood out a bit amongst the red and gold, the other houses were a mix of green and red. The Slytherins were decked out in green and silver, the Ravenclaw house seemed to have more green than red, and Hufflepuff seemed to have more red than green. It was split perfectly amongst the houses.

"Welcome to the first Quidditch match of the year! It's a bit too cold for this, but it's Quidditch," Lee Jordan said into his wand, his voice echoing across the large field. "First up we have Slytherin, the slimy p- ouch," he complained as McGonagall cuffed him over the head. "The cunning serpents!" He added, changing the ending of the sentence. The Slytherins did a lap around the pitch before stopping in the middle where Madam Hooch was. "Last but not least, we have Gryffindor!" The roar was deafening, especially since we're seated with Gryffindors. "The fierce Lions, and Lioness," Jordan added as he saw Katie Bell's glare.

I couldn't hear what Madam Hooch, but it looked like a warning to both of the teams before she released the snitch, bludgers, and quaffle. They all zoomed in the air, the Quaffle quickly passing between members and teams. One of the Weasley twins hit a bludger at Flint, who dodged it with ease. "That was a close one, Flint. Watch out for whichever twin that was," Jordan yelled into the wand. Slytherin was the first to score a point, the Slytherins went crazy. It wasn't long before Gryffindor scored a point.

I looked away quickly, Flint had taken a beater bat and hit a bludger at Wood. Wood managed to dodge it, nearly getting hit in the left shoulder. "Oh, Flint breaking the rules. One penalty shot to Gryffindor!" The crowd went crazy when Gryffindor scored the penalty shot. As the game continued, there was no sign of the snitch. Harry was flying above everyone else, it was hard to see what he was doing. As it began to grow darker, Harry's broom began going back and forth like crazy. It was trying to throw him off. I recognized the curse immediately, my father had made me read a book which mentioned it. It makes any inanimate object go crazy, moving all around. It was outlawed in 1903 because of this exact reason, people were using it to shake people off of brooms during matches.

My eyes scanned the crowd, looking at all of the Professors. My eyes landed on Quirrell, who was muttering intently and staring at Harry. I looked at my Godfather, he was also staring at Harry and muttering something. I didn't know who was muttering the curse or counter curse. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a familiar bushy haired girl set fire to my Godfather's robes. He jumped up, hitting Quirrell in the head during the process. I now wouldn't know who was doing what.

I sighed in disappointment, looking back at the match. Harry was diving for the ground, causing the other Seeker to stop and turn around. I watched in amazement as Harry stood on the edge of his broom, his hand reached out for the snitch. His foot slipped, causing him to fall off of his broom. Everyone stood, checking to make sure he was okay. He spit out the snitch, clutching it in his hand. People screamed and yelled so loud my ears were ringing. "Harry Potter has caught the snitch, Gryffindor wins! Take that pricks!" Jordan shouted into the wand. McGonagall didn't even hear him, she was so happy.

Neville clutched onto my side jumping up and down in excitement. "We won!" He yelled excitedly, the biggest smile on his face. I couldn't help but join him, following the Gryffindors as we headed back to our common room to party. It was hectic, the older students managed to have access to alcohol so you could seen seventh years, sixth years, and even fifth were years wasted. There were some people already passed out on the floor by midnight, but me and Neville, Dean, and Seamus just sat in the corner talking.

"Seamus managed to blow up the mirror this morning, he's bloody incredible!" Dean said, clutching his stomach as he laughed. Seamus blushed a bright red, but the grin on his face showed that he didn't care.

"Me first accidental magic was blowing up my mum's whiskey cabinet! My mum never let me near it ever again." I full-heartedly believed that, it seemed as though his magic preferred destroying things. "I can't wait to learn the Expulso spell, it's all about blowing things up! I know I'll get it on my first try," he stated confidentially.

"Why don't you try it now?" Neville suggested, a bright twinkle in his eyes. "Here, explode this," Neville said as he grabbed an abandoned chess board. I was half tempted to see if his juice hadn't actually been a cup of liquor. Seamus stood up, all of us backing up as he pointed his wand at it. No one would notice the commotion, it was too loud and crazy for people to notice. Not to mention the students that managed to smuggle in Cannabis were in their own world. "Expulso!" Seamus yelled, a bright blue light shot out of his wand and collided with the chess set. It exploded into smithereens, feeble pieces remained.

"Bloody hell, that was cool," I mumbled as I stared in wonder. "Are you sure you're not going to blow up Hogwarts' bridge?" I asked him with a grin on my face. He shrugged, a smirk on his face. I silently hoped that on the last day of school in seventh year he'd just explode the bridge with expulso, so I can remember this moment and smile. "We should go to bed," I commented. It was nearing two in the morning already. We had classes tomorrow at eight and had to be up by seven. "It's going to be horrible trying to wake all of you up," I grumbled as we headed into the dormitory. They laughed in response, but they fell asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow.

___

It's my birthday. That was the first thing I thought of when I awoke on December seventh. I scrambled out of bed, realizing that Neville had already vacated our bed. I normally woke up first, but today seemed to be different. I looked at the foot of my bed where five packaged presents sat. Neville entered the room, smiling as soon as he saw me. "My present isn't with those. Me, Dean, Seamus, and Harry decided to give you yours later. I think those are from your parents," he said as he sat on my bed.

I grabbed the parcel on top, ripping off the useless paper. There was a small quick note, Happy birthday, lion. Yours truly, Uncle Sev. I smiled at the note, placing it on my trunk. In the package was a book on how to make cures to harmful potions, in a small box, magically expanded on the inside, was full of the ingredients typically used in counter potions. I took note to thank him later for that as I grabbed the next present. On it in my mother's neat cursive was my name. Inside of the box was a custom made outfit. It came with a light spring cloak, it was black with a silver swirl design on the back of it. The shirt it came with was silver, a black lining to it. The pants were simple, black skinny jeans with silver buttons on it with four pockets. The dress shoes were black, the inside a dark gray.

The thing that I liked most about the outfit, was it came with a necklace. The necklace was pretty simple, it was silver with a lion charm on it, onyx eyes on the face of it. "That's beautiful," Neville commented as he looked at the necklace before helping me clasp it around my neck. "You should wear that outfit during spring when the courtyard re-opens." I hummed in agreement, moving onto the next package.

The next package was from my father, I hadn't been expecting anything from him this year. There were a series of books, all written in French. I could easily understand them, they seemed to be old folklore. I actually quite liked them, setting them with my other presents. The next one was also from my mother, it was a pocket watch with the Malfoy crest engraved on the silver metal. I opened it, revealing the small ticking clock with a snake on the inside. I remember seeing this in my mother's things, which meant it was a family heirloom. My spirits were lifted, it meant that they still considered me a good heir for the family name.

I reached for the last one, which was slightly heavier than the rest. It was a box of every single type of chocolate from every country. I quickly placed the box on my bed, my hand running over the smooth wooden case that held the chocolates inside. "You're going to be sick if you eat all of that," Neville says in a sing song voice. Before I know it, he shoved a parcel in my face. "You don't have to keep it or use it if you don't want to," he said sheepishly, fiddling with his fingers.

I opened it, my eyes scanning over the two rings in the box. They looked as though they were a set, one ring went on the lower part of the finger, and you put the other one in front of it. It was a thicker ring, a dark design on the band of both of the rings. The first ring had a series of small rubies placed in the center, whereas the other one had a single rectangular one. "I tried my best to find the one closest to Gryffindor red, but I couldn't so I chose black. I know you're a bit insecure about being in this house, but you should accept it. At least it matches your necklace-"

I pulled him in for a tight hug, I didn't even want to know how much money it probably cost. "It's really pretty, it's so pretty I almost don't even want to wear it," I said as I slipped them onto my left pointer finger.

"Follow me, I want to show you something," he said as he handed me my cloak and boots. "We have to go outside if you want me to show you it," he added at my confused look. I quickly put on the items before following him out of the dormitory. We received a few looks from the few early risers, who were up at eight in the morning on a Saturday. Breakfast started at nine thirty during weekends so Neville and I had time. Our feet quickly left prints in the snow, ruining the fresh look of it. I soon realized that we were headed towards the green houses. "Professor Sprout said I could come here whenever I wanted," he told me as we entered one of them.

"I wanted to show you my favourite plant, follow me." I followed him down the second aisle of exotic looking plants, only recognizing there perhaps. "This one is called Gillyweed, it's always been my favourite. It allows you to breathe and swim underwater. It was the only reason my Gran ever let me go in the lake by our manor. My mother apparently gave it to me on my first birthday," he had a wistful expression on his face as he spoke of his mother. "Before school lets out and the water in the lake warms up, I want to take you swimming." I looked at him in slight shock.

"What about all of the creatures in the lake," I said, trailing off. I really didn't want to get killed by a Grindylow or merpeople.

"Don't worry, it'll be in a few months and we won't be going in deep. I just want you to try it out with me," he assured me. "M-Maybe over the summer you could come over? I-It's perfectly okay if you don't want to! It just gets a bit lonely having no one-" I cut his rambling off by putting my hand over his mouth, making him blush. "Do you want to?" He asks me, a feeble tone in his voice.

"Of course, Neville. It's quite lonely for me too, I just need to make sure it's okay with my parents. My mum will be fine with it, it depends on my dad." His face was glowing, a bright smile on his face as he looked at me. He took me to the next plant, giving another introduction. I just listened along, happy to be in his company.


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is around 2.1k words, I would've wrote more, but I'm too lazy. this is unedited.

**CHAPTER SIX**  
**DRACO'S POV**

* * *

I looked up as the owls entered the great hall, immediately recognizing the family hawk. The creature dropped the letter on me, quickly flying off. The thing has always been a little prick, choosing to bite or nip at me if I look at him the wrong way. I ran my hand over the smooth material of the envelope, the family crest on the back. It was most likely for the Holidays, telling me whether or not I will be returning home. I opened it, just as Neville sat beside me.

_Dear Draco,_

_As I am too busy caught up with work at the Ministry of Magic and helping the Minister with passing a new bill, you won't be coming home this year. Before you ask, your mother has left and is staying with her muggle-loving sister. We are filing for a divorce and we're already discussing your living arrangements. I don't want you to whine about this to me or your mother. I will expect you to handle this like the Malfoy heir should. Malfoy's do not show weakness, we do not cry, we do not whine, we do not step out of line. I'm expecting your grades to be well, after all you're in the house you think you belong in. I expect Exceeds Expectations and Outstandings in all of your classes._

_Sincerely,_

_Lucius A. Malfoy_

My hands trembled slightly, but I managed to keep up a mask. I gently folded the paper and tucked it back into the envelope. I couldn't comprehend it, my parents were in love with each other. Or were they? Their marriage was an arranged marriage, just like mine will be eventually. Not once growing up had I imagined that my parents would separate, even if I'm out of the house and of age. Why couldn't they tell me in person? Leave it to my caring father to tell me about it through a letter. "Draco!" Neville's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "What did your parents want?" He asked me curiously as he took a bite of bacon.

"Oh, nothing. My father was just telling me I need to stay at Hogwarts for the Holidays," I said nonchalantly, shrugging in the process. He gave me a comforting smile, one I didn't look at as I didn't want his pity. As my father said, I can't show any weaknesses. I need to be strong, despite the shock of the situation. I need to be a man, despite being twelve years old.

"I wish I could stay, but I want to go and visit someone with my Gran. Not to mention, she'd never let me stay here longer than necessary," Neville said as he patted me on the shoulder. I wondered if he was talking about his parents, were they in a coma of some sort? I had no idea, but he will tell me he feels comfortable. "Let's go to class, you should grab something to eat on the way. I'll be telling Harry to make sure you eat over break," he said with a proud look on his face. I grabbed a biscuit and sausage before being dragged off by Neville to Defense Against the Dark Arts.

I entered the room, smelling the usual strong smell of garlic. I wrinkled my nose at the disgusting smell, taking a seat. I managed to finish my food just as Quirrell entered the room, snow on his turban. It was most likely the Weasley Twins throwing snowballs at the back of his head again. They loved messing with the stuttering Professor, constantly pulling pranks on the man. "H-hello, students. T-Today we will b-be learning s-stupefy!" He said with a nervous look on his face, but clapping his hands to make him seem cheerful. "S-stupefy is the st-stunning charm, a-as all of y-you read the ch-chapter on it, y-you all will get th-the class to practice i-it and do ho-homework."

I was only just able to decipher what he was saying. I was getting better despite the slight struggle. I turned to Neville, who was looking at me expectantly. We found an empty part of the room and pulled out our wands. "You first?" I ask him, he hesitantly nodded. "Don't forget confidence is key-" the spell hit me. Everything went dark, but then suddenly I was opening my eyes.

"T-the spell to wake som-someone from t-this spell is r-renervate," Quirrell said to us before moving on to the next pair of students.

"You're amazing, Neville. That's the first spell you got on your first try in DADA," I said excitedly, my concerns momentarily forgotten. A light blush appeared on his face, muttering a small thank you in response. "Stupefy!" I yelled, pointing my wand at him. He fell to the ground, unconscious. I smiled, running over to him and attempting the rennervate spell. After three attempts, his eyes fluttered open. A smile appeared on his face, this time he congratulated me. "Let's practice a few more times, then do our homework." He nodded in agreement.

Once we were finished, we quickly headed to the nearest desk. "Can you help me with Herbology, Nev? My grade is a bit low in it," I asked him as we sat down. I had an Acceptable in Herbology, but I need Exceeds Expectations if I want my father to stop pestering me about Gryffindor. He nodded, grabbing out his books and notes from the class.

"Last time I checked, didn't you have an Acceptable?" He asked me as he scooted closer to me. I nodded in response, a pink hue to my pale skin. Neville had an Outstanding in the class, most likely from his caring nature. Unlike me, he knew how to care and nurture living things. I had no experience in that field, not having any pets, siblings, or a nurturing environment to grow up in. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about, that's an average grade." Average. I hated that word with a burning passion. A Malfoy cannot be average, we need to exceed what is expected of us and continue to do so.

"I-I just need to get it up. Teach me how to care properly for plants and how to tell the difference between them," I asked him, hoping he didn't pick up on the desperate tone in my voice. He nodded, leaning closer to me and putting a book between us.

"This will list plants that look alike, but tell you the differences between them and what they do. I can get you a book on how to properly care for them, you have to be gentle with them. You need to care for them and make sure they're healthy. I can find you a book on how to make sure they're healthy and thriving." I had never appreciated Neville Longbottom more than I did in that moment. He was a life saver, I had no idea as to what I'd do without the plant lover.

"Thank you," I mumbled as my eyes scanned the first page of the Differences of Plants.

"Don't thank me, Draco. I'll get you a list of plants in the first year curriculum so you can study those," he told me with a firm stare. I was slightly intimidated by the usual sweet boy, but I didn't mind the difference as he still radiated his usual warmth and concern. "Now, you'll need to study these quite a lot and even work with them. We'll be working with the plants that grow in the winter in class, but you'll have to work on the others in your own time. You can even talk to Professor Sprout! She's really nice," he commented just as the bell rang.

"What do we have next?" I asked him as we exited the door.

___

It was the last day before the students were to leave for the Holidays. A bittersweet feeling came over me, I wouldn't get to see Neville, but I wouldn't have to face my father just yet. I still haven't told him about my parents, mostly because I was ashamed. It was highly looked down upon to divorce in the Wizarding world, especially amongst the elite pure-blood's. I have no idea what the press will think, all I know is that they love my family drama. 

"Let's go play in the snow," Neville begged me. In response, I snuggled into my spot on the couch by the fire. "Please, it's my last day to be with you before break. I won't see you for two weeks," he pleaded, a desperate tone in his voice. I sighed, finally complying to his wishes. He had to pull the 'I'm not seeing you for two weeks' card on me, which will always work. I wonder what he'll be able to get me to do on the last day of school, two months without seeing each other. I shuddered at the thought, preparing to go out into the freezing weather.

There was a thick layer across the grounds of Hogwarts, most likely because we were in the lower Highlands of Scotland. I froze as we made our way towards the courtyard, The Weasley twins, Percival, Ron, and Harry were already playing together. "Hey Draco, Nev, wanna play?" One of the twins asked, dodging a snowball in the process. "Too late, you're both on the ickle firsties team," he shouted as he threw a snowball at the horrible barricade made of snow. 

I yelped as a snowball came flying towards me. I grabbed Neville's hand and pulled him behind the barricade, where the other two were. I attempted to ignore the close proximity of me and Weasley as Harry spoke. "Put all feuds aside, we need to win this." I had never seen someone so determined to win a snowball fight. How do you even win a snowball fight? I was tempted to ask him, but they were already throwing more snowballs. "Draco, you make the snowballs. Neville, you're the strongest, you throw as hard as you can. Put a thin layer of water on the outside, Draco. I'm sure you know the spell," Harry ordered before chucking a snowball as hard as he could. It hit Percival right in the face.

I quickly began forming more snowballs, putting the thinnest layer of water on it so it'd freeze up. They needed it slightly harder so it'd break the barricade and make them want to give up. "Aguamenti," I mumbled before placing it on the growing pile of snowballs. I paused to look at them throwing, Neville was most definitely the strongest despite Harry being the Quidditch player of the three. I watched as a piece of the elder Weasley's barricade collapsed, revealing one of the twins. He cursed loudly, getting hit by Percival in response.

We played for hours, getting bruises, soaked with snow, eventually we all had to go in because it was so cold. I couldn't feel my legs, hands, or face. Everything was completely numb, but I knew it'd be extremely painful when we started to warm up. I'm surprised no one has a frost bite from the freezing cold. "Let's go to the kitchen, the house elves love me and George," Fred said as he shivered violently. I didn't bother to ask them how they knew where it was, they had been here for two and a half years so far.

I was a bit confused when they stopped in front of a fruit painting, tickling the pear. It swung open, revealing the kitchen full of bustling house elves. "Misters Weasley have came with their friends!" One house elf exclaimed excitedly. I couldn't help but smile at her as she jumped up and down. "Masters are cold, Tilly will warm them up," she gushed as she pulled us into the warm kitchen. She sat us down at a table, with a snap of her fingers our clothes were dry and we had blankets wrapped around us. "Tilly will be back with hot chocolate and scones," she said before waddling off into the bustling house elves.

I looked at Neville and smiled brightly, despite the fact we were still trembling. His nose and cheeks were still flushed red, his hair was slightly wet from the melted snow flakes, and he had a few bruises. "Gran is gonna kill me when she sees the bruises," he grumbled, but he didn't seem to truly care. Tilly returned with a tray of scones and cups of hot chocolate. "Thank you," Neville said to her, an affectionate smile on his face as he looked at her. I quickly followed his lead, feeling guilty at how happy she seemed from a simple thank you.

I vowed then to make sure to thank my house elves whenever they do something for me. It was definitely worth it seeing the look on her face.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is a bit late, sorry. someone stole a lot of money from me so I'm pretty upset. I hope you enjoy!

**CHAPTER SEVEN**  
**DRACO'S POV**

* * *

It didn't take long for me to realize just how much I missed Neville. I feel pathetic for already missing the blond haired boy, but he was my best and only friend. I was alone with Weasley and Harry in our dorm for two whole weeks. The only source of entertainment was the Weasley Twins, but even they couldn't snap me out of my stupor. The first few days of Christmas break consisted of reading, staring at nothing, and being dragged down to eat in the Great Hall by Harry and the twins.

"Hey, Malfoy," Harry said, entering the dormitory. I was confused as to why he was talking to me, he only spoke to me when asking me to come to meals. I looked at him expectantly, I had simply been staring at the ceiling for who knows how long. "Can I ask you something?" I hesitantly nodded in response. "Why did you stay at Hogwarts for the Holidays, is it because of your sorting? You seem a bit off," he trailed off slightly. He turned back to me, waiting for my response to his questions. It made it harder to hold all of my emotions, having someone ask me. I blinked away the unexpected tears, but at the end of the day I'm a twelve year old boy.

"I-." My voice cracked slightly, making me wince. "My parents uh, are getting a divorce," I said nonchalantly. His eyes widened slightly as I shrugged. "Not to mention my dad is disappointed in my sorting, I have to get all Exceeds Expectations or Outstandings in our classes," I mumbled the last part, hoping I didn't sound whiney or annoying. He didn't say anything for a few minutes, choosing to sit in silence and dwell over the information.

"Did you tell Neville?" He asked me finally. I shook my head no. He sighed, standing up and signaling me to follow him. "Come on, hang out with me. I suck at chess, I'd appreciate it if you could teach me how to," he said with a smile. A smile bloomed on my face and I eagerly followed him into the Common Room. Percival was laying on the couch by the fire and the twins not too far away, smirks on their faces. I didn't bother to ask where Weasel was, as he didn't mean anything to me.

I started off with the basics, explaining the rules to him. He seemed a bit uncomfortable with the rules and the talking pieces, so I finally asked him: "Is muggle chess a bit different?" He quickly nodded, explaining the pieces didn't move or talk and there was a lot less smashing between pieces. "Well, you'll get use to it over time! They'll start to trust you more if you start winning," I explained to him as I set up the board. He got the white pieces and I got the black. "You know the rules now, it's all about intellect and confidence. Listen to yourself, not the pieces." He nodded, a firm gaze on the board between us.

Halfway through the game, Weasel entered the common room again. I could sense his annoyance across the room, so I made sure to spend more time with Harry. It was nice having someone to talk to, even if it'll probably never happen again as long as Weasel remains a jealous prat. I sullenly watched as Harry left to go and give the Weasel some attention, but I felt much better than I had before the game of chess. "Hey," Percival said as he sat across from me. "Wanna play with me? I haven't played chess in ages," he said with a small smile on his face.

I definitely wasn't use to seeing him smile much, he always had his face stuck in a book. "Sure," I replied shyly. I once again got the black pieces, as they were by far my favourite. I could feel Weasley's eyes on me, most likely disgusted over the fact his brother was playing with me. Percival never played with the youngest male Weasley, even if he'd beg him for an hour. "Is being a Prefect stressful?" I asked him as it was his turn to make a move.

"Not really, the only thing that is stressful is the nightly monitoring. I have to go around the castle and look for students who are sneaking out," he responded, a smile on his face. "Check mate," he added with an even bigger smile. My eyes widened and I looked at the board, he won. "I grew up playing chess, I was just a bit rusty," he said sheepishly. "You're a good player, we should play together more often. You're the only real competition," he said as he stood up. A light blush came over my cheeks at the compliment, no one had ever complimented my skills.

___

On Christmas morning I was woken up by the Weasley Twins jumping on my bed. "Wake up, Blondie!" One of them shouted, waking up Ron and Harry in the process. "You all have presents." That managed to wake us up completely. I slightly froze when a single question came out of Harry's mouth.

"I have presents?" He asked, a confused tone in his voice as he looked at them. Why wouldn't he have presents? His family would surely send him something and he had quite the amount of friends. I didn't comment on the whole situation, I just sleepily followed them into the cold common room. Percival was lighting the fire in the fireplace, attempting to heat up the room. There were quite the amount of presents underneath the Christmas tree, something I hadn't been expecting. I decided to wait before opening my presents, so I curled up in a ball on the leather couch.

"Cold?" Percy asked me as he noticed my shivering form. I nodded, clutching my arms around my pale skin. He grabbed a blanket, putting it over me with a soft smile on his face. "My mother also sent you something, it's most likely her home made fudge and a Weasley sweater she made," he told me as he sat on the arm of the couch, right next to me. My eyes widened slightly, a warm feeling coming over me. "Here." He handed me two small parcels with my name on it. "I may have mentioned a blond first year that nearly beat me in chess, who also managed to earn enough of the Twins love to not be pranked," he finished with a chuckle.

I opened the larger parcel first, it revealed a black jumper with a D in light gray on the front. The cuffs of the shirt also had a stripe of light gray through the middle. I snuggled it slightly, immediately smelling honey and flowers. Is that what the Weasley household smelled like? It was a lot more cozy than the smell of Malfoy Manor. I opened the other parcel, revealing a box of hot fudge, a red ribbon wrapped around the smaller box. "I'm going to write a thank you letter," I mumbled as I stood, putting on the sweater and running back upstairs. I hadn't opened any of my other presents, but I felt as though Mrs Weasley's letter should come first.

Dear Mrs Weasley,

I would like to thank you for the sweater and chocolate. You have no idea how much it means to me. I'll make sure to return the favor. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Yours truly,  
Draco L. Malfoy

I sent the letter off with my owl, Ash. I clambered back down the stairs, deciding it was time to open up my presents finally. Harry scooted over, making some room for me to sit. I grabbed the first one I saw with my name on it, opening it instantly. It was most definitely from my father. It was something simple, it was a few more books in French. One of the books was a series of horror stories, the other one was the classic _Les Misèrables_ , which I had not read yet. The final book was _Manon Lescaut_. It was the final book of my favourite series written by Antoine François Prévost in the 1700s.

"T-that's French?" George says with a raised eyebrow as he looks at the books. "Wait, I forgot the Malfoys are also in the sacred thirteen if France." I rolled my eyes with an affectionate smile on my face, reaching for another present. I instantly realized this one was from my mother, my father would never give me something so sentimental. It was a letter and a photo album, as soon as I opened it I was greeted with images of a much younger me smiling, hugging my mom, flying on a toy broomstick, and some pictures were from banquet parties.

"Aw, little Malfoy seemed so happy with his blond curly hair,' Fred cooed, causing Weasel and Harry to sneak a glance at the book. I put aside the letter, choosing to open it up later. I grabbed another parcel, this is one is from my father. I opened it, causing the book inside to fall onto the floor. I picked up, to only see it was a diary. At the bottom in gold lettering was the name Tom M. Riddle. I raised an eyebrow, setting it with my other gifts. There was something else in the package of the journal. I quickly opened it, to see a single sentence on a card. Protect this no matter what.

I threw the card into the pile, not understanding the value of the diary. I moved on to my next present, this one being from Neville. I opened this one with much more excitement, eager to know what my friend got me. It was another journal, but it was in professional packaging and said "Two way diary". I immediately knew what it was, Neville had the matching one. We could write in it and communicate with one another. I smiled, setting it beside me as I finished looking through the gifts he got me. He got me a lion plushie and chocolate, much to my amusement. I idly wondered what my father would think when he saw all of my Gryffindor related things. He'd surely throw a fit.

I finished up my presents, cleaning up my mess and throwing out the garbage. I spent the rest of the day hanging out with the Weasley's, excluding Ron, and Harry. As dinner neared, we all made our way to the great hall where only one table would be set up. The students staying at Hogwarts got to eat with their teachers since there was barely anyone here. As we entered, I couldn't help but look around in wonder. There were crystal snowflakes holding the candles above our heads, the night time sky above now charmed to look as though snow was falling in the night, lights along the walls of the castle, and three huge Christmas trees in each corner.

It was utterly breathtaking.

I was put between Fred and Percy. Harry and Ron were sitting across from us, with George next to Fred. "Merry Christmas, students! And a Happy New Year," Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his bright blue eyes. Our eyes connected for a split second, his eyes softened for an unknown reason. I immediately looked away, remembering what my father said to me about Legilimency. I looked at the food as it appeared before us, grabbing a simple meal. I ended up with ham, corn, potatoes, and a small french onion soup on the side.

"Mister Malfoy, Neville has told me you've been trying to get your Herbology grade up," Professor Sprout said with a soft smile on her face. "You're grade is already good, I admire the passion and hard work you put into school work." I felt my cheeks grow hot as I muttered a thank you, avoiding all eye contact. "Neville is an amazing and kind boy, I'm glad he has a friend like you," she said with a warm smile on her face. She took another sip of wine, causing me to wonder if she was slightly tipsy or just generally cheerful.

"How are you, Mister Weasley?" McGonagall asked Percy as she finished up the last of her food.

"I'm doing great, Professor. This break was definitely needed, I feel quite refreshed and can't wait for school to start up again. I've been planning out my study schedule and sorting out career plans," he said with a proud grin on his face. It was something to be proud of, he was the top student in his year, and a Prefect. It was amazing that he managed to make room for everything in his busy day. I can't even imagine doing all of that at once, with time to hang out with my friends. That's why I hope I'm not chosen as a future Prefect, because my father would never let me turn it down.

With that thought, I finished my dinner in a comfortable silence.

___

_Dear Draco,_

_I miss you a lot, but I hope you like the gifts I got to. I love what you got me. It probably cost a lot of money, it's extremely rare and expensive. I've always wanted it, so thank you. I'll make sure to hug you when I get back to school. I've been having trouble sleeping as of late, maybe because I'm so used to sharing with you. That's okay though, right?_

_Anyways, I got to go and visit the people I wanted to see. They seem like they're doing better! Also, I heard something about a divorce between a well known politician and his wife. My Gran loves gossip, she was talking about it with her friends Susan and Marcela. They were trying to guess who it was the entire time, it was quite boring._

_I hope you've been enjoying your Holidays so far. Try not to beat up Ron when I'm not there, you need to have a second. I can't wait to see you again, it's awfully lonely here. Maybe next year you could come over for the Holidays? I don't want to get my hopes up._

_Love,_  
_Nev_

_Dear Nev,_

_I really miss you too, it's been a bit lonely, but I've found friendship in Percy Weasley. Shocker, I know. He's a really good chess player and it's really hard to beat him. Don't worry about the price of the plant, I'm just glad you liked it. aI found it really pretty, I was tempted to buy myself one actually. Maybe you should take a sleeping potion, but yeah I've had a bit of trouble too. I stay in my room most of the time so it isn't a big deal._

_I know I already said this in my last letter, but thank you so much for the gifts. I love the cute little plushie you gave me, I wonder what my dad will think when he sees him. I named him Rouge since it's red in French. Maybe that will please my father, basically all of my gifts from him have been books in French and some silly diary that's most likely a family heirloom. I haven't touched it, it's buried in my trunk._

_I also want to tell you something when you get back. It's very important, I'm sorry for not telling you before break. All you need to know is not to worry, I'm perfectly fine with the situation. I just really miss you. Overall, the Holidays have been decent. I've managed to anger Ron a few times, but he deserved it all. I can assure you of that._

_Yours truly,_  
_Dragon_


	8. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the long wait!

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

**DRACO'S POV**

* * *

When the students returned from their Holidays, I didn't hesitate to throw myself onto Neville. I had missed him more than I could imagine, something that I wasn't quite used to. I could allow my mask to fall around him without a care in the world. I giggled slightly as he ruffled my hair, I didn't care that it was a mess. My hair gel had been untouched since the first day of school, especially after Neville complimented my blond curls. He still had some snow flakes on his cloak from the short walk to the carriages.

"Come on, we have some time before dinner. I want to go to the library," I said as I dragged him from his room. He had just barely managed to get his cloak and trunk situated before we left. The walk to the library didn't take long, courteous of my enthusiasm. I lead him towards the Herbology section, scanning the shelves for a specific book. I grabbed it with a cry of happiness, handing it to him. "You're really good at Potions and Herbology, I found this book over the Holidays. It's good to know the properties of plants in potions, what works well together and whatnot. It's useful for creating potions."

He was looking at the book in wonder, throwing one arm over my shoulder. "Thanks, Dragon." My cheeks never failed to get red from the nickname he used, which was a translation of my name from Latin. I looked at the book with him, his arm still thrown around my shoulder. "Also, you mentioned wanting to speak to me about something," he said suddenly, connecting our eyes. I gulped, remembering what I wrote in the letter. I really need to stop putting it off. It's getting a bit extreme now, he's bound to find out eventually.

"Well, when my father told me I can't come home for the Holidays, there was a reason." He was staring at me expectantly, waiting for me to continue. "My mother and father are getting a divorce. I'll most likely be living with my dad," I tried my best to act like I didn't care at all about the situation. It happens sometimes, apparently it's even more common in the muggle world than ours. Apparently in the muggle world, it's okay to show emotion and not be judged. Can I really believe that information?

"Draco, I'm so sorry. You should've told me, I would've more than gladly been there to support you. I can see through that act, Draco. I thought you'd know by now. Stop acting like it isn't affecting you, your parents just told you that they're getting a divorce. That's a big deal, not something to be ashamed of. So give me another hug, brat." I did as told, wrapping my arms around his torso. 

"Merlin, I never expected to meet a literal angel in Gryffindor. I was expecting a literal demon, but hey that's Ron Weasley," I said, my words slightly muffled by his robes. He laughed in response, his shoulders shaking slightly. "Seriously, I appreciate you more than you can imagine. If any other pure-blood found out they'd most likely tell everyone and degrade my family name. That's what I'm scared of though, my father will be royally pissed if the divorce causes damage."

"What are you boys doing here? The feast is starting soon," Madam Pince said as she narrowed her eyes at us. I quickly muttered an apology, grabbing Neville's wrist, dragging him out of the library.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed," Neville murmured just loud enough for me to hear. I let out a sound of agreement, deciding to walk in a comfortable silence with the other boy. We arrived at the great hall just as the last group of people were entering it. I instantly felt my fellow first year Gryffindor's eyes on us as we headed towards the table. "We were in the library," Neville explained to them.

"Blimey, you're already headed to the library when we just got back? I need your level of dedication to school," Seamus replied wide eyed. Dean rolled his eyes, shoving the Irish boy. "That's rude!" Dean didn't seem to care at all as he continued to smile brightly. I tuned Dumbledore out as he stood to make another unusual speech. This time, nothing seemed to filter through my walls against his loud and booming voice.

As soon as the food appeared on the table, I realized just how hungry I really was. I managed to keep some self control, unlike Weasley three seats away from me. I grimace in disgust as he shoved chicken in his mouth. The people seated around him were also visibly disgusted, so I realized I wasn't alone in that situation. "How were your guy's Holidays?" I asked the other boys as I wiped my mouth with a napkin.

"It was bloody awesome! Me mum allowed me to have a sip of her whiskey on New Years Eve and Christmas. Then Dean came over for a little bit between the Holidays. I got him to actually do something other than paint, write or read. We both watched some movies on the muggle telly my papa had in his man cave. Then we played some pool together, it was fantastic!" Seamus exclaimed as he threw his arm around Dean's shoulders. I smiled, feeling happy knowing they both enjoyed their time. I turned to Neville who was oddly quiet.

"Eh, it was mainly my Gran and Uncle Algie this year. My Gran invited her stuck up friends and political associates on New Year's Eve, though. I stayed in my room most of the time or went out to the greenhouse. Draco got me a new plant so I was tending to that so I could get it in pristine condition before I left," he said awfully quiet. I felt slightly bad for the boy, who didn't have anyone for nearly two weeks. I may have been lonely, but I had people around. "I also got to visit my parents!" He added excitedly, his eyes lighting up at the thought of them. So I was correct, I thought to myself as I calculated his facial expressions.

He had rarely if not ever mentioned his parents, so I never knew whether or not they had passed or were too ill to care for him. I had always known Neville was raised by his Grandma, when I was younger I would see him at a political party my father forced me to go to. He was awfully shy and hid behind his Grandma constantly. Despite seeing him quite often, we never spoke a word to each other, but we would sure as hell stare from across the room.

"I'm glad you had something to look forward to," I said with a smile on my face as I patted his shoulder. The conversation changed from subject to subject, but we all laughed happily together.

___

I was awoken with a loud sound. I looked over to see Harry on the ground from tripping and Ron Weasley wide eyed. "What the hell are you two doing?" I hissed quietly, making sure I didn't wake Neville from his slumber. They shared a glance, silently arguing with one another in the darkness of the room. "Are you going to answer me?" I asked them impatiently.

"You can't tell anyone," Harry began. "Hagrid kind of got his hands on a dragon so we're giving it to Ron's brother Charlie. Don't look at me like that, Charlie's a dragon tamer in Romania and said they'd take in the dragon!" He exclaimed, not even trying to be quiet. He silenced as soon as I shushed him and pointed to the sleeping boys. His cheeks turned a light shade of pink as he bowed his head.

"I'm coming with you," I said as I clambered out of bed, watching Neville snuggle into the spot where I just was. Ron began to protest, but stopped as soon as he met Harry's gaze. "How are we going to get there without being seen? The snow is beginning to melt," I said as I slipped on my boots and a jumper on the floor of our room. Harry hesitantly pulled out a silver fabric, causing me to instantly recognize it. He shushed me before I could talk or open my mouth. He signaled for me to go under it with him, which I did. As we exited the common room, I tried to ignore the closeness of me and Weasel.

The walk consisted of us glaring at each other and Harry rolling his eyes at our antics. "You two act like two year olds," he hissed under his breath as we neared the doors of the castle. I held my breath as we exited the castle and into the slightly chilly night. I had never been more thankful for the jumper Astoria Greengrass had bought me in an attempt to please my parents. I shook off the thought, focusing on not stepping in any mud as we headed towards Hagrid's hut. As we neared the hut, I eyed the close proximity of the hut and forbidden forest.

The exchange was quick, Hagrid quietly sobbing as he said goodbye to the dragon he named Norbert. It was a fierce looking dragon, but still very much a baby one. I was thankful for that, as it was heavy enough at a mere weeks old. I could only imagine how large it'd grow to be in the future. Our footsteps and heavy breathing could be slightly heard as we walked through the castle, struggling as we headed up the stairs of the tower. I let out a sigh of relief as the cool air hit my now sweaty skin. A couple of wizards were waiting on their brooms, one I presumed to be Charlie Weasley as he has that signature ginger hair. "Try not to get into trouble," he said sternly before leaving.

I really should have listened to him, but as we were on our way back I spotted McGonagall. She wasn't alone, as a crying Neville was being scolded by her. My heart clenched and I could see the look of guilt on Harry's face the words that came from Neville. "I-I wanted to make sure my friends were okay, I'm so-sorry! Please don't tell my G-Gran," he sobbed as tears flowed freely down his smooth skin. It didn't look like she was in a forgiving mood as she went off on him, nearly yelling. He flinched with every word that exited her mouth.

"I can't stand this," I hissed at Harry before exiting the cloak. He quickly followed, Ron reluctantly following behind us. "Professor McGonagall," I said hesitantly, but I noticed the slightly relieved look on Neville's teary face as he saw us. The look of fury took over her face as she saw us, causing me to internally wince at the punishment that awaited us. After being screamed at for nearly thirty minutes, she brought us back to the common room after taking fifteen points from Gryffindor each.

Guilt was thrumming in my veins as Neville continued to cry, his shoulders shaking with each sharp breath he took. I allowed him to cry against my chest as we cuddled underneath my blankets. "M-my Gran is going to kill me. I've never gotten i-in trouble before," he cried as I gently patted his head. She had to be one wicked woman for him to be in such a state. I vowed to go and see McGonagall tomorrow morning, I thought to myself before closing my eyes.

As the sun rose, I made sure to tell Neville I was leaving this time. There were dry tear streaks on his face still, his hair was a mess, and there were dark bags underneath his eyes. I knew I probably didn't look the best, but I'm at least use to lack of sleep. It took me five minutes to gain the courage to knock on McGonagall's door, after reminding myself what house I'm in. "Enter," a tired voice said. She immediately straightened as I took a seat in front of her.

"First off, I want to apologise for my actions last night. It was wrong of me to sneak out with Harry and Ron, but curiosity got the best of me. I didn't know Neville would wake without me in the bed with him-" I paused at her confused look. "Me and Neville share a bed since it helps us sleep well, especially since we enjoy each other's company. The main reason I came here was for Neville, since I'm concerned. He was innocent in all of this, he was scared and worries so he went looking for us. Please don't send a letter to Mrs Longbottom, she's too harsh on him and he's petrified of how she'll react. He was crying all night." The last few sentences were full of desperation and as much emotion as I could put in them.

"I am glad you apologised for your actions and were able to realise that you're in the wrong. No need to worry about Mister Longbottom, I'd never send a letter to that woman unless Neville was ill or in physical danger. She can be a bit tough on him, so don't worry Mister Malfoy," she said sternly. There was a slight look of pride in her eyes as she stared at me. "You two remind me of another two boys that went here a long time ago," she commented with a smile tugging at her lips. "Now go to breakfast. Fifteen points to Gryffindor," she muttered the last four words. A smile appeared on my face as I did as told.


	9. Chapter Nine

**CHAPTER NINE**  
**DRACO'S POV**

* * *

"Follow me, kids," Filch said with a sadistic grin on his face as he led us outside of the castle. "Since you like breaking rules so much, you lot get to enjoy a night in the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid." A wave of terror settled over me at the mention of the forest. I was told horror stories growing up of what lived inside of the dense forest surrounding the school. It was meant to protect people from getting in and out, but that meant if you go into the dark forest, the creatures await you within. I looked up at the sky, nearly whimpering when I saw it was a full moon. I was told about werewolves that ventured inside so they would be away from humans.

"I'll take them from you, Filch," Hagrid grumbled as soon as he saw us. He gave Neville a pat on the back, making him nearly topple over. He waited for Filch to be out of earshot before he finally began speaking. "I'm sorry you lot got in trouble trying to help me. There's something killin' the unicorn in the forest, so we gotta go find it and help any of the injured unicorns we can find!" He said excitedly, most likely not realizing that we're now even more terrified of the forest.

"Hagrid, what if the thing killing the unicorns goes after us?" Harry said hesitantly, staring at the giant with wide eyes. Hagrid shrugged, a sheepish look on his face as he handed all of us a lantern each. I inched towards Neville, who latched onto my side. We had a right to be scared, especially as there was something out in the dark trees killing Unicorns. They were nearly impossible to kill, yet there was something doing it. Dumbledore was a confusing man, but this is too far. Sending for first year students into the Forbidden Forest where a creature is killing things, sounds like an amazing idea. If I didn't want to save my dignity, I'd be owling my father about this situation in a heartbeat.

"Neville will go with Ron and Harry 'n Draco will come with me." My stomach twisted violently at the thought of not being Neville. Especially since he had to endure Weasel's company, something I would wish upon no one. "Shoot sparks in the air if you hear anything or you're in danger," he tells them as we begin walking down the dark dirt path. I stay close to Neville until we meet a fork where Hagrid tells us to split up into our groups. I felt safer with the adult, but I was still worried for Neville. Weasley is an idiot and Neville can't take on a creature this strong, we're meer first years.

"How's er Gryffindor, Draco?" Hagrid asked me in an attempt to break the silence. He was one of the first people to actually ask me about how it is to be in Gryffindor.

"I quite like it, actually. I was told that all Gryffindors are rash and annoying, but the only one really like that is Weasley." Harry coughed slightly at the mention of the ginger haired boy, eyeing me slightly. "You can't deny that he's a jerk," I said as I rolled my eyes. Hagrid stayed silent, squinting in the dark forest. We continued walking, most likely to anxious to speak in fear of attracting anything. I clutched onto Harry's side when there was a sound of rustling and running. He clutched back onto me, dragging us behind Hagrid who held out a crossbow.

Neville and Ron appeared, causing me to sigh in relief. "Ron freaking pushed me and I hurt my side, all because he heard a sound!" Neville exclaimed, with a shocking look of anger in his eyes. I've rarely seen Neville actually angry, so this was definitely a first. "All we saw was unicorn blood," he added as he took a deep breath, glaring at Weasley. I glared at the ginger too, Hagrid sighing in defeat.

"Harry and Draco, you take the other path, these two are staying with me so I can watch them," Hagrid said as he handed us their lantern. Neville looked slightly guilty, but attempted to give me a smile despite his anger and fear. I grabbed Harry's arm as we walked down the path together, now alone. It didn't take long to spot the mercury substance splattered everywhere. We both tensed the farther we walked down the path. An owl hooted, causing both of us to jump slightly. We looked at each other and laughed.

"We got scared of a bloody owl," he said with a giggle, temporarily forgetting our situation. I giggled with him, continuing down the dirt path. It suddenly wasn't as scary after our giggle fest. I felt a weird feeling creep on me as the blood of the unicorn became thicker and there was a lot more in the area. "There's a lot of blood," Harry murmured as he once again gripped my arm tightly. I squinted in the darkness as we came to a very small clearing. I dropped the lantern in fright, stumbling backwards. Harry let out a yelp of pain, clutching his forehead. There was a hooded figure above the Unicorn's body, blood all over creatures face. It had been eating the poor creature, which every sane man knew not to do. It cursed you for the rest of your life and only temporarily made you immortal.

"H-Harry we have to go," I said as my voice shook violently. The figure was heading towards us, but Harry was whimpering on the ground from the pain in his head. I grabbed him, huffing slightly as I realized despite his small figure, he was still heavy from building muscle in Quidditch. "Harry, please," I begged as I walked backwards faster. My eyes met the cloaked figure's, the eyes were glowing red. I fell backwards, still grabbing Harry so he'd stay with me. In a blur, a centaur appeared, causing the figure to vanish in a blink of an eye.

"Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy," his voice was deep and smooth as he looked at us. There were tears streaming down our faces, but Harry was no longer curled up and in pain. "Come on, get on quickly. There's no way to tell whether or not it'll come back," he said and gestured to his back for us to get on. With trembling legs we both got onto his back, my hands wrapped around Harry's torso. "I warned them that Mister Potter should not enter this forest for evil was lurking," he murmured to himself. "Mister Potter, do you know why people drink Unicorn blood?" He asked Harry, who muttered no. "Unicorn blood offers a man immortality, but it comes with severe consequences. Harming an animal so pure and innocent is one of the worst acts a man can commit, so in return they're cursed forever. They'll become less human over time, they'd be better off dead. Do you know anyone who would perhaps sink this low or need to do this?" He asked Harry as we got onto the familiar trail we'd just been on fifteen minutes ago.

It was silent for a moment as me and him thought about it. I shivered as a name crossed my mind, but Harry quickly said it out loud. Lord Voldemort. "He isn't as dead as you think he is. It's only a matter of time before he's going to go after you again," the centaur spoke all to calmly. "The name's Firenze," he added as we quickly spotted Hagrid not far up the path. Hagrid turned around and grinned brightly when he saw the centaur, but it fell when he saw the stoic expression. "I'm happy to say I was able to interfere before your students were mauled to death by the creature. I made it just in time, I told them that evil was here," he told Hagrid with a sigh.

"Are ye' all right?" Hagrid asked wide eyed as he quickly lifted me and Harry off of Firenze's back. My eyes connected with Harry's and then landed on his head, but it was perfectly fine. I eyed his scar, that seemed a bit red. His pleading expression caused me to nod quickly, a lump in my throat. I let out an oof as I stumbled back, Neville having thrown himself at me in a hug. I wrapped my arms around him, feeling the shock and shaky feeling fade away. His familiar smell of earth, cinnamon, and tea always managed to calm me down. "Let's head back to the castle," Hagrid said sounding slightly disgruntled.

"Thank you," Harry mumbled in my ear, offering me a small and shy smile. He walked beside Weasley, but didn't speak to him, despite the ginger asking him a million questions. I was grateful that I had Neville, someone who was curious, but respected your privacy nonetheless. My body instantly calmed as soon as we were out of the dark forest, smiling at the sight of the Hogwarts castle. We entered the warmth of the castle and began the trek to the Gryffindor tower with Hagrid following us. I practically dragged myself up the stairs and into our dormitory.

As I threw myself onto the bed with Neville, I vaguely heard Harry mention something about his scar hurting to Weasley before I succumbed to sleep.

___

I entered Sev's office, feeling the coldness and darkness of the dungeons. "Thank you for coming, Draco," he greeted me in his usual stiff sounding tone. I've never heard him say thank you, something isn't right. "Take a seat," he instructed, pointing to the chair in front of his desk. He was sat in his black leather chair, expression emotionless. His black eyes peered down at me, our height noticeably different even when sitting in a chair. "You'll be skipping your classes with me today, but you're excused. I must take you to the Ministry of Magic for your parents' divorce trial," he said as he stood up, handing me a spring cloak to put on.

"W-why do I have to go?" I questioned him as he handed me floo powder. He didn't say anything as he stepped into the fire place, yelling Ministry of Magic. I closed my eyes at the bright blue light, opening them again to see him gone. I followed him, appearing in the usually busy Ministry of Magic. Wizards and witches rushed around, nearly bumping into me a few times. They didn't bother saying sorry, too focused on getting to their destination. I followed Severus to the security check, grabbing out my wand.

"Names?" The girl drawled, staring at us dumbly. "Severus Snape and Draco Malfoy," Sev replied, grabbing my wand and handing it to her. She cast a spell over them before handing them back to us. "Here you go, floor seven, trial room number four," she said as she handed us two badges that said 'Visitors'. I bowed slightly before quickly scrambling after my Godfather, who happened to forget about my short legs. We entered the elevator, gripping the handles tightly. I have never been able to get used to the speed of the contraptions, that seem to not care at all about your stomach.

It came to a sudden halt, the metal doors opening as we arrived at our destination. "Come, Draco," Severus said as he exited the elevator. I picked up my pace, following him down the eerily quiet hallway. We reached trial room number four, the doors flew open. I stared at the ground, unable to meet the eyes of my parents. I could feel the eyes on me as I took my seat on the witness bench. "They'll ask you about your parents' relationship, so answer truthfully," Sev told me as we settled in our seats. I nodded, feeling my throat tighten. 

The trial officially begun as soon as the Minister of Magic spoke. I eyed the scribe who was scribbling away in the corner, going at a speed I couldn't even imagine. "Would Lucius Abraxas Malfoy please come up to the stand?" Fudge asked as he stared at my father, who bowed. My eyes met my father's, this was the first time I had seen him since I was sorted into Gryffindor. I noticed the changes in him and he noticed the changes in me. "What is the cause of you and Lady Malfoy filing a divorce?" He asked him as he checked on the scribe.

"One of the many factors is that I am ashamed to say is that we fell out of love. We married at age eighteen and truly did love each other in the beginning. When our son was born, I began working more and she was focused on Draco. We grew apart over the years as I began my political career to put it as it is. As I've been taking time off, we both realized we weren't as compatible as before. The first war obviously changed all of us, but we didn't realize it at the time. Another factor is our fights of the fact we both have partners on the side. I do not care for infidelity, we both were unfaithful because we did not love each other. I hold no ill feelings towards my wife. I hope it stays like that."

As soon as my father finished people began whispering amongst each other. "Silence!" Fudge yelled, causing everyone to quiet nearly instantly. "Do you want custody of your son? If so, why do you want him in your care?" Fudge asked my father with an almost greedy look on his face. People were mainly here for the gossip and drama, the first divorce between two pure-blood's in over one hundred years. Most just had a Mistress or Mister on the side if they were in an unhappy marriage.

"I would like custody of my son, but I am open to a custody agreement with Narcissa. She can see him every other weekend and take him out to go shopping or eat at max three days a week for a couple hours. Why I want my son? As a pure-blood he must he raised to be the head of the Malfoy family. I want to be a father to him and guide him towards a bright future. I have never failed to make sure he is well fed, dressed well, or in a bed at night. This will also give me the opportunity to grow closer to him as he enters adulthood. He's in his first year at Hogwarts, which means I barely see him anymore. That's why I'd love to have my son under my custody," he finished with a smile on his face. It wasn't a genuine smile, it was a business smile. No one knew that though, they had only ever seen his fake smile.

I already know my father will win the custody battle, he has too many connections. It doesn't help that he has the Minister in his back pocket. "Please return to your seat Lord Malfoy and may Lady Malfoy come to the stand?" Fudge says as he bangs the gavel. I had a feeling he just liked banging it and didn't actually know how to use it. "I will be asking you the same questions as Lord Malfoy. What is the cause of you and Lord Malfoy filing for a divorce?" He asked, seemingly eager.

"As Lucius said, we simply fell out of love and began seeing people on the side. Now that our son has begun Hogwarts, we're left alone to each other. We weren't able to realize the damage until we were finally alone together. I'm sick of arguing with him over petty beliefs and our finances. He left out one of my reasons though. A person I'm seeing means a lot more to me than a simple fling and I want to pursue a relationship with him," she finished, her eyes landing on my Godfather. I was confused at first, but then I realized what was happening. Uncle Sev and my mother were more than best friends.

"V-Very well then, Lady Malfoy. Now shall you continue onto the next few questions-" My mother cut off the Minister.

"I have already agreed to Lucius' terms as we have already decided on a divorce settlement. I shall be getting the Malfoy cottage in France along with 500,000 galleons. Our lawyer already has the papers ready for you to sign, Minister," she says, her voice clear and stern in the silent room. The lawyer, an elderly man in silk black robes, stood and handed Fudge the file of papers.

"Very well then. Please return to your seat Lady Malfoy. Can the heir Draco Lucius Malfoy come to the stand?" Fudge says, causing eyes to land on me. I feel anxiety creep up on me as I walk towards the stand. Everyone was staring at my every move. Why were they writing when I hadn't even said anything? My hair wasn't slicked back as usual and I've gained some colour in my skin. Was I looking less like a Malfoy should? Not to mention I was in my Gryffindor robes still. No wonder people were eyeing my clothes. "Please tell me about your parents' relationship over the years."

"Uh, well I grew up around my house elf Dobby a lot. My mother was around a lot and my father tried to be around as much as possible. They got along in my opinion, but they were slightly colder towards each other. I think it got worse over the years as they grew apart and my father threw himself into his work more often. I only heard them fight once, I don't know what it was about as it was a week before I had to go to Hogwarts. I know they both didn't see eye to eye on my friend choices," I trailed off slightly at my parents' narrowed eyes. That was obviously a touchy subject for them.

"Please return to your seat, Mister Malfoy," Fudge said and I quickly complied to rush to my seat besides Severus. "All of those in favour of the divorce between Lord and Lady Malfoy?" Fudge asks as he turned to the group of witches and wizards. More than half raised their hands causing me to let out a breath I didn't even know I had been holding. Fudge signed the papers in the file and handed them to his scribe. "As of today Narcissa Black and Lucius Malfoy are no longer bound by marriage."


	10. Chapter Ten

**CHAPTER TEN**  
**DRACO'S POV**

* * *

"Draco." I groaned and rolled over as someone kept on poking me and saying my name. "Wake up, blondie," Neville says with a grin on his face. I raised an eyebrow, staring at his very blond hair. "You fell asleep while studying for exams. They're a couple weeks away still so get your lazy bum up! My gillyweed came and it's warm enough outside for the lake," he said with a grin. My eyes widened as I stared at the package in his hands. The lake? There were all sorts of creatures in there. The giant squid was the most infamous one, not that anyone had actually ever seen it. "Please, Draco," he begged me on his knees.

"I don't have anything to wear for the water.. Dobby!" I called, silently praying that he could get through the wards. With a snap he appeared before me much to our surprise. He was midway through his bow when I spoke. "Can you please fetch me a black t-shirt and my swimming trunks?" I asked him, causing him to nod with the familiar look of determination in his eyes. Within a minute he appeared again with my clothes neatly folded in a pile. "Thank you, Dobby. That is all," I say, making sure to show my gratitude.

"Go get dressed," Neville says as he rushes to grab his clothes. Once I was done I re entered the dorm and spotted Neville in red swimming trunks and a gray v neck. "You should grab a robe and wrap it around you so no one questions where we're going. I want it to be a secret," he says in a whisper as he hands me my school robe. He puts his on too, slipping on his shoes at the same time. I quickly follow him, attempting to not look suspicious at all as we exited the common room. Thankfully, Ron, Hermione, and Harry were to distracted and Dean and Seamus were laughing by the fire.

It was only slightly windy as we exited the castle and headed towards the lake. The temperature noticeably dropped as we neared the cool temperature of the water. "Come on," Neville yelled as he slipped off his shoes and robe, proceeding to grab the package and run into the water. He yelped at the cold temperature, instantly shivering. I rolled my eyes at his antics, but followed him into the water nonetheless. It was cold, I found myself also shivering. "T-Take the gillyweed, it'll help you adjust to the water. That'll last for about an hour so we can both sit on the floor of the lake a-and talk," Neville informed me, putting the gillyweed in his mouth. I cringed at the taste and slimy texture, nearly instantly wanting to puke it up. I swallowed it, waiting for the transformation.

I yelped as I felt gills start to form on my neck. Neville was already under water, swimming deeper into the water. As soon as it was finished, I went under the water and joined him. We settled on a clear patch of sand with only a few shrubs surrounding by us. The occasional fish swam by, leaving me slightly unnerved. "Can you swim without the gillyweed?" Neville asked me, his voice sounding slightly distant because of the water.

"Of course. I'm not completely unathletic, I even play Quidditch over the summer when bored," I said with an eyeroll. "The water's really calming, but I'm still scared of the fish and creatures in here. How aren't you?" I asked him with a raised eyebrow, folding my arms across my chest.

"I love all creatures, they're unique in their own ways. Like that cute fish right there! I love it's blue scales and the shine it has in the water," he said with a smile on his face. I eyed the fish, but couldn't see anything appealing about the worthless creature. "I've always wanted a kitten, but my Gran refuses to waste her money on a pet that I won't take care of. I take care of my plants, I don't understand why I can't have a kitty!" Neville says with a slight pout on his face. An idea pops into my head, Neville's birthday is on July 30th, I should get him a cat and take him out to get a new wand. "What's with the smile?" He asked with narrowed eyes.

"I was thinking of this summer. I want to hang out with you, so we won't be alone. Letters won't suffice for two whole months!" I whine to him, moving closer to him so there isn't a foot between us. "We can hang out, right? Or does your Grandma not like me that much?" I ask him timidly, suddenly feeling smaller. The thought of not seeing Neville for two whole months made me sick to the stomach. He's my best friend, the only person who I can tell anything to.

"I'm sure she'll let me. Plus, I want you to meet my parents. She can't refuse me anything when it comes to them. They're really important to me, but so are you. So you have to meet them," he says with a soft smile on his face. I instantly notice that he has two dimples whenever he actually smiles. His brown eyes twinkled in the water, most likely from the water reflection above. "They're at Saint Mungos," he begins, his eyes going downcast. "They were tortured into insanity by your Aunt two days after the Dark Lord's downfall. They've been there ever since and it doesn't seem like they'll ever leave. Apparently I was in the room with them when it happened, but I don't remember a thing. I have a scar though, it's on my lower back. The death eaters have a strict rule of not harming pure-blood children, but Bellatrix was one of the even crazier ones."

I fell into silence at his words. I knew something happened to the Longbottoms, but I never knew if they were alive or dead or even where they were. I don't remember my Aunt, but I hear she was one messed up lady. "What if I ask Uncle Severus to look into your parents' condition?" I ask him, causing him to look at me wide eyed. "It's probably pretty bad, but Uncle Sev is the best Porions' Master in Europe and good at inventing potions. He also has a degree in Healing and Psychology. He may not cure them, but he may be able to help them even if it's small. I don't want you to get your hopes up, but I want you to know that I'll ask him. I'm sure he'll try, especially with their case being one of a kind.." I trailed off, looking at the sand I sat on.

"T-Thank you," he mumbled. "I'm really glad you were sorted into Gryffindor. I probably wouldn't have any friends if it weren't for you. I'd probably be failing all of my classes," he said, his eyes meeting mine. "I like getting to be immature with you, unlike when I'm with my Gran. I have to be exactly like my father. It's why she wanted me in Gryffindor. The sorting hat wanted me in Hufflepuff, like my mum. That's what she doesn't like, I'm so much like my mum. I look like her, I act like her, and I remind everyone of her. All she's ever wanted was for someone to say 'He's just like Frank'. No one will say it and no one ever will. She doesn't realize it so she forces me to be like him. She limits my time with plants, makes me read Quidditch magazines, wants me in Gryffindor, makes me use his wand. She's bloody delusional! It's like she wants me to be him," he said, a harsh tone in his voice as anger laced his words. He actually sounded angry, extremely.

I wasn't expecting the rant from him, but I was thankful for it. "She most likely is delusional. She lost her only son, so all she had left was his son. So she tried to raise you like she raised him in hopes of having her son again. I can't imagine losing a child, can you?" I ask him quietly. He shakes his head, no smile on his face. "Come on, cheer up! The gillyweed is going to wear off any minute, after that let's go and visit Sev?" He nods in excitement, the smile reappearing on his face. I felt a wave of relief wash over me, but I froze as soon as the gillyweed began wearing off. Neville's hand wrapped around my wrist, pulling me up to the surface. We both gasped as our heads came out of the water. "I-It's cold." I shivered as we walked onto the shore, quickly wrapping our robes around us.

Neville cast a spell, warming us up and drying us off instantly. I smiled in relief, slipping on my socks and shoes. "Let's go," he said, grabbing my hand as he dragged me towards the castle. We ran into Quirrell on the way to the dungeons, who was outside of Dumbledore's office. We hurried along, shivering again as we entered the cold dungeons. I was grateful I wasn't in Slytherin, I'd never survive this cold. Especially during the winter, everyone probably catches a cold.

I knock on the door, hearing Severus say enter. "Mister Longbottom, Draco. What can I do for you two!" He asks us as he looks up from a pile of papers he was in the middle of grading.

"You'd do anything for me as my Godfather, correct?" I ask him, which he nods in response to. "You know of Neville parents' condition?" I ask him again, which he slowly nods in response. "I don't expect you to be able to cure them, but I want you to help them or look into their condition. Maybe help them psychologically or help them move a bit better, just please help them in anyway you can. Neville's my best friend and I want him to be able to see some growth in his parents' health. You're the smartest person I know," I was practically begging as I looked at him.

His eyes were narrowed as he looked at both of us. "You are my Godson and I do care for you. You will not repeat this Longbottom, but you're one of my best students I've had. I will look into their condition and do a bit of research, but I am not promising anything. I don't want anyone to know anything about this, if I hear as so much as a rumour, I won't do it." I nodded, a bright smile on my face as I hugged him tightly. He tensed instantly, but gently patted me on the back in an attempt to return the favour. I heard a snicker from Neville, causing me to turn to him.

"I'm s-sorry Professor, but that was the most awkward hug I've ever seen," he said as he covered his mouth with his hand. A giggle escaped me when our eyes met. "Thank you, Professor. Come on, Draco." We exited the office, going into a fit of giggles as we begin the trek towards Gryffindor tower.

___

  
Everyone was getting ready for bed, Dean already passed out. The teachers were working us down to the bone with exams not far from us at all. I noticed something off between Harry, Ron, and Neville. Neville was watching the other two closely, even as we slipped under the covers I could feel how tense he was. "You okay?" I whispered in the dark, unable to see his face in the pitch black room. The curtains covered the windows and our bed was away from most of them, either way we'd be in darkness.

"I'm fine, just worried for finals," he mumbled as he snuggled into the pillow. I closed my eyes, allowing my body to relax into the soft bed. I had taken a sleeping potion and I could feel it begin to slowly do it's job. "Goodnight, Draco," he whispered just as I fell into a blissful sleep.

I opened my eyes again, this time I was alone in the bed. I couldn't see anything as I fumbled around in search of my wand. My hands wrapped around a wand, but it wasn't mine. It was most likely Neville's, but I used it nonetheless. "Lumos," I whispered causing the area around me to light up. The room was practically empty, the only other people in here being Seamus and Dean. That meant Ron, Harry, and Neville weren't here. I scowled slightly, I told Neville we should stop sneaking out with the other two. First, they run into a three headed dog, and then I sneak out and get detention in the Forbidden Forest where we run into the not so dead Dark Lord.

I exited the dormitory, quietly creeping down the steps. The fire was still going, leaving the room lit up with light and heat. I didn't cancel the lumos charm, instead looking at the spot where Neville normally sat on the sofa. My eyes adjusted to the darkness, immediately seeing a figure on the ground. I gulped, but ran towards it. Neville. He wasn't moving at all, he was frozen in place. My eyes locked with his, they were moving. Then it clicked, someone used the petrification spell on him. "Finite Incantatem," I say, unsure if it was the correct spell. It seemed as though it was, as he let out a gasp of air and went into hysterics, holding onto me.

"T-They left- dog- they w-went to t-the-" I could barely decipher what was coming out of his mouth at this point.

"Neville!" I say loudly causing him to go silent. "Speak clearly. I can't understand anything you're saying," I say gently, realizing I must've scared him. How long was he on the ground, unable to move? I felt guilty for not finding him sooner, instead I was upset with him for sneaking out. I felt horrible about myself.

"Ron, Harry, and Hermione sneaked out of the common room. T-They were going after your Godfather they said. They're in the Forbidden Corridor to stop someone from getting the Philosopher's stone. I tr-tried to warn them and get them to stay, but they wouldn't listen. Hermione petrified me so I wouldn't stop them or tell a teacher," he was still a stuttering mess, but calmer than before. He barely stuttered since the beginning of the school year. I really hoped this wasn't him losing all the confidence he gained over the year.

"Let's go tell someone," I said as I helped him up on his feet. His legs trembled, causing him to put most of his weight on me. It was a slow process getting to McGonagall's office. I didn't even know if she'd be in there at this hour or in her personal sleeping chambers. The door opened surprisingly, revealing a disheveled Professor. "Ron, Harry, and Hermione sneaked out and went to the Forbidden Corridor to stop someone from stealing a stone," I blurted out as soon as I saw the look of alarm on her face. "Hermione kind of petrified Neville and left him on the ground for hours, he's a mess," I say as my grip around the boy tightens. His head rested on my shoulder as he was obviously hit with a wave of exhaustion.

"I'll send Severus and Professor Flitwick to the Forbidden Corridor, let's get Mister Longbottom to the infirmary," she stops and pauses mid sentence, "You did the right thing, Mister Malfoy." A blush appeared on my face at the praise. I helped Neville make it to the infirmary where Madam Pomfrey quickly gave him a calming draught and ice pack for where he hit his head in the fall. It was a small cut and he'd be fine, maybe a headache.

"I'm not leaving," I said sternly as soon as Madam Pomfrey suggested I head back to the dorms. I sat in the chair next to Neville, staring at her defiantly. She caved in, allowing me to sit beside him. Ron and Hermione were the first ones to show up, a large gash on the side of Ron's head. He was unconscious and was scarily paler than usual. Hermione's robes were slightly ripped as she told Pomfrey what had happened. That's a game of chess I sure as hell don't want to play.

Severus and McGonagall stormed into the wing thirty minutes later, an unconscious and cut up Harry Potter floating behind on a stretcher. I didn't get to see anything else as the curtains around me and Neville were closed. I shifted in the uncomfortable chair, attempting to fall asleep.


End file.
